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This review describes methods for the synthesis of alkenes by elimination, with a specific focus on α,β-dehydrogenation reactions. It covers the literature published in the period 2011 to early 2020, providing an overview of recently developed transition-metal-catalyzed methods for α,β-desaturation of carbonyl compounds (e.g., ketones, aldehydes, esters, amides, etc.) as well as other functional groups. Key methods covered include palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenation via β-hydride elimination and copper-catalyzed desaturation via a radical pathway, as well as other miscellaneous methods. These approaches provide efficient access to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, which are important intermediates in the synthesis of diverse valuable organic molecules.

Vertical position stability plays a crucial role in maintaining safe and reliable plasma operation for long-pulse fusion devices. In general, the vertical position is measured by using inductive magnetic coils installed inside the vacuum vessel; however, the integration drift effects are inherent for steady-state or long-pulse plasma operation. Developing a non-magnetic approach provides a fusion reactor-relevant steady-state solution that avoids the negative impact of integration drift. In this paper, we compare the non-inductively determined vertical position achieved by line-integrated interferometer and polarimeter measurements to that employing an inductive flux loop for a 1056 s discharge recently achieved on EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak). Experimental results show that the non-inductive measurement is more robust than flux loops after 300 s if the integrator is not reset to suppress integrator drift. Real-time vertical position control using the non-inductive system is proposed for the next EAST experimental campaign.

Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. (TK) is a dioecious plant in the Cucurbitaceae for which different sexes have separate medicinal uses. In order to study the genes related to sex determination, transcriptome sequencing was performed on flower buds and leaves of male and female plants using the high-throughput sequencing technology. A total of 145,975 unigenes and 7110 DEGs were obtained. There were 6776 DEGs annotated to 1234 GO terms and enriched to 18 functional groups, including five biological processes related to sugar metabolism. KEGG pathway analysis indicated genes involved in hormone transduction, hormone synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. The sex determination genes of TK are different from known sex determination mechanisms (ACS11, ACS7(2), WIP1). Many DEGs of TK are involved in reproductive organ formation, hormone signal transduction and regulatory networks. In combination with the previous study of sex differentiation of Cucurbitaceae, the results of GO, KEGG and the expression of related genes in male and female plants, 18 candidate genes for sex determining of TK were screened from 151 hormone-related differentially expressed genes. The genes included MYB80, MYB108 and MYB21 of the MYB family, CER1, CBL, ABCB199, SERK1 and HSP81-3. The results provide a foundation for the study of sex differentiation in TK.

The purpose of this study is to introduce a methodology of the immunostaining of human lung tissues, followed by whole-slide digital scanning and image analysis. Digital scanning is a fast way to scan a stack of slides and produce digital images with high quality. It can produce concordant results with conventional light microscopy (CLM) by pathologists. Furthermore, the availability of digital images makes it possible that the same slide can be concurrently observed by multiple people. Moreover, digital images of slides can be stored in a database, which means the long-term deterioration of glass slides is avoided. The limitations of this technique are as follows. First, it needs high-quality prepared tissue and the original immunohistochemistry (IHC) slides without any damage or excess sealant residue. Second, tumor or nontumor areas should be specified by experienced pathologists before the analysis using software, in order to avoid any confusion about the tumor or nontumor areas during scoring. Third, the operator needs to control the color reproduction throughout the digitization process in whole-slide imaging.

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An accurate estimation of a casualty rate is critical in response to earthquake disasters, and could allow an increase in the survival rate. Building damage is considered to be a major cause of earthquake casualties in developing countries. High-resolution satellite imagery (HRSI) can be used to detect the building damage in a period of a short time. This makes it possible to use a model to estimate earthquake casualties immediately after the occurrence of an earthquake. With respect to the capability of HRSI, this study built a new model for estimating the casualty rate in an earthquake disaster based on remote sensing and a geographical information system. Three groups of earthquake data, the 2003 Bam earthquake, the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, and the 2010 Yushu earthquake, were used to evaluate this model. The results indicated that our new model significantly improved the accuracy in predicting the casualty rate. The parameters used in the model vary between developed and developing countries. This study could provide valuable information for a more efficient rescue operation in response to earthquakes.

While the recent development of multimedia technology has opened up many possibilities, we have a lot to learn when it comes to how we can best take advantage of the technology. In this paper, we present a Japanese project that we have been developing since 1999. We discuss its main characteristics and the basic structure of the modules, as well as the results from an evaluation study. From the initial stage of developing the project to the evaluation study, we have noticed a number of both minor and major issues one should address in developing such a learning tool. Our purpose, therefore, is to share what we have learned with those who plan to launch a similar project dealing with foreign language learning.

Establishment of a detection platform for glioblastoma-dendritic cell (DC) vaccine preparation and to determine the efficacy of the vaccine in a clinical trial. Autologous glioblastoma-DC vaccine was prepared from a glioblast specimen procured from surgical resection. The specimen was used to enrich the vaccine with peripherally blood-derived DCs after heat-shock induced, glioblastoma apoptosis. The control group received conventional treatment of surgery and radio-chemotherapy post-operation. The therapeutic group received a combination of glioblastoma-DC vaccine and conventional therapy. A comparison of the functional immune parameters, including tumor control, rate live time, Karnofsky scores, and complications occurring in each group were observed and recorded. The proportions of peripheral CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD4+/CD8+, and NK cells were significantly higher after DC vaccination than the control group (P < 0.05). Serum levels of IL-2, IL-12, and IFN-γwere significantly higher after DC vaccination than in the control group (P < 0.05). Nine months after vaccination, tumor control rate is significantly improved in the DC group compared with the control group (P < 0.05); survival rate was significantly higher in DC group than in control group (P < 0.05) and the time to relapse was significantly longer in DC group than that in control group (P < 0.05). Karnofsky scores were better in DC vaccination group 6 and 9 months post-treatment compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The combination of glioma DC vaccine and radiotherapy/chemotherapy post-operatively enhances the immune function of patients, increases the tumor control rate, prolongs the survival time and relapse duration, improves the quality of life, and therefore provides a more effective intervention of treating glioblastoma.

A new UV-reactive monomer piperazine-N,N'-bis(acryloxyethylaryl-phosphoramidate) (N-PBAAP) containing phosphorus and nitrogen was synthesized and used as flame retardant for an ether-type UV-cured polyurethane acrylate (PUA) coating. The thermal properties of the PUA films were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in air and nitrogen atmosphere. The TGA results showed that the incorporation of N-PBAAP can obviously enhance the char residue of the PUA coatings. From the TGA and real time Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (RT-FTIR) results, different degradation behaviors were observed in the PUA coatings with different N-PBAAP content. The combustibility of the PUA coatings was evaluated by microscale combustion calorimeter (MCC). The MCC results revealed that the addition of N- PBAAP in the coatings can significantly reduce the peak Heat Release Rate (pHRR), Heat Release Capacity (HRC) and the Total Heat Release (THR) of the samples. Furthermore, dynamical mechanical thermal analysis (DMA) was employed to examine the viscoelastic properties of the PUA films. It was found that the incorporation of N-PBAAP in the formulation can bring in more functional groups to the coatings, which results in an increase of the glass transition temperature (Tg) and cross linking density (XLD) of the films.

pdf, “Scroll of Late Three Years War”, created in 1347, has a scene in Vol. 2 indicating medieval warriors in a battle field, where warriors were writing letters to their family members back in home. The text in the scroll states that warriors were “writing letters in tears”, at the same time, the picture draws three groups of people, put a highlight on the process of preparing letters. In medieval picture scrolls, there are many stories related to and scenes describing letters. We can find various situations including: to produce a letter, to hand it out for delivering, to held a letter on the street, to hand a letter to the receiver, to read a letter and to preserve old letters. In another word, we are facing a group of visual documents to record an entire life circle of a letter. Letters from a battle field in the Late Three Years War is one of those scenes. In order to understand what was expressed in the picture, and how it was carried out and in what way it was communicated with the reader back to the medieval time, we need to exam visual documents from the same time. Furthermore, we also have to take an account on medieval written documents such as legendary stories and literary dairies. Letters from a battle field show us a special situation and people's feeling on communication under an extreme setting. At the same time, it is a highly valuable example for us to approach to the meaning of medieval pictures and the way of representation through such a visual means.

The first plasma discharges were successfully achieved on the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) in 2006. The sawteeth behaviours were observed by means of soft x-ray diagnostics and ECE signals in the EAST. The displacement and radius of the q = 1 surface was studied and compared with the result of equilibrium calculation. The density sawtooth oscillation was also observed by the HCN laser interferometer diagnostics. The structure of the EAST operational region was studied in detail. Plasma performance was obviously improved by the boronization and wall conditioning. It was observed that lower qa and a wider stable operating region is extended by the GDC boronization.

Historical Consciousness, Historiography, and Modern Japanese Values, 2002年10月末-11月, カナダ, アルバータ州バンフ

Aims To investigate the contribution of regulatory T cells and co-stimulatory molecules in CD4+ T cells to the development of Type 1 diabetes (T1D). Methods Twelve patients with T1D, nine patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 12 age-matched healthy control subjects participated. We analysed the proportions of CD25+CD4+ T cells and natural killer T cells (NKT cells), and the expression levels of Foxp3, CTLA-4, CD28, ICOS, PD-1 and BTLA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and purified CD4+ T cells. Results There were no significant differences in the proportions of CD25+ CD4+ T cells or NKT cells among the three groups. PD-1 expression levels of peripheral CD4+ T cells from T1D patients were significantly lower than those from healthy control subjects (P = 0.00066). In contrast, PD-1 expression levels were similar in SLE patients and healthy control subjects. The expression levels of Foxp3, CTLA-4, CD28, ICOS and BTLA were similar in the three groups. Conclusions Decreased expression of the PD-1 gene in CD4+ T cells may contribute to the development and/or maintenance of autoimmune T1D. As the population studied was small and heterogeneous, further studies are required to confirm the findings.

This paper describes a CW submillimeter waveguide discharge‐pumped DCN laser operating on 190 and 195μm lines with novel mixture gas(N2, CD4, and D2). No brown polymer deposit was found after long time discharge even at low wall temperature. The laser discharge length is 3 m, and the resonator length is 3.4 m. The resonator cavity consists of a pyrex tube of 54 mm diameter and two plane reflectors against its ends, one is a plane mirror, the other is a metal mesh. After optimization of various parameters, such as the N2:CD4:D2 gas mixture, the discharge current and the wall temperature, this laser delivers 150 and 160mW on the 190 and 195μm lines, respectively, for EH11 mode.

A successful experiment on lower hybrid wave (LHW) and ion Bernstein wave (IBW) synergy has been carried out in the HT-7 superconducting tokamak. With 560KW of LHW heating power and 160 KW of IBW heating power, during the synergy of the LHW and IBW experiment we achieved an improved plasma: the electron density increased and peaked, the soft X intensity increased too. A five-channel far-infrared (FIR) hydrogen cyanide (HCN) laser interferometer was used to measure the electron density profile. The particle diffusion coefficient was studied for the experiment, and the result compared with the heat diffusion coefficient. With the same injected LHW and IBW power, high electron density ne can deduce the electron pulse propagation and the particle diffusion.

In this paper the lasing modes and the propagation property of a CW DCN laser, which cavity is a 50 mm inner diameter with length of 3.4 m, were studied. The modes of 195 and 190 μm lines are well identified by the micrometer mount of the movable mirror in one end of the cavity. The beam profile is found to be qualitatively Gaussian in the far-field (Z > 4 m).

A high power CW 195 μm DCN laser has been developed for fusion plasma diagnostics. Optimization of various parameters (such as the rate of N2:CD4:He gas mixture, the gas pressure and the discharge current, the wall temperature and the output couple) for maximum output power at the DCN laser were performed and reported in this paper. Output power of about 220 mW on the 195 μm line has been obtained with 3.4 m long and 54 mm inner diameter discharge-pumped wave-guide laser. A new mixture gas of N2:CD4:D2 was used in producing a stable high-power discharge and preventing the deposition of brown polymer with lower wall temperature and discharge current.

Ge nanocrystals (nc-Ge) embedded in silicon oxide thin films have been fabricated using rf magnetron co-sputtering deposition and post-growth thermal annealing method. Raman scattering and photoluminscence (PL) measurements have been used to characterize their crystallization and light emission properties. The Ge crystallinity and nanocrystal size obtained using a three-peak fitting method based on a phonon confinement model have been found to increase with the increase of annealing temperature. The observed blue photoluminescence band located at ∼3.1 eV and a weaker band at ∼2.4 eV under the excitation of 325 nm laser did not show significant size dependence while their relative intensities were related to the addition of H 2 or O 2 into the sputtering ambient. The photoluminescence mechanism is discussed.

This paper describes a CW sub-millimeter waveguide dischargepumped DCN laser operating on 190 and 195 mu m lines. The laser discharge length is 3 m, and the resonator length is 3.4 m. The resonator cavity consists of a pyrex tube of 54 mm diameter and two plane reflectors against its ends, one is a plane mirror, the other is a metal mesh. After optimization of various parameters, such as the N2:CD4:He gas mixture, the pressure and the discharge current, the wall temperature and the output couple, this laser delivers 200 and 220mW on the 190 and 195 mu m lines, respectively, for EH11 mode.

The electron density coefficient was studied during IBW heating in the HT-7 tokamak. The frequency of IBW was 30 MHz, and the injected power was 130 kW. An improved confinement mode was induced by IBW heating in the HT-7. The peaked density profile was formed gradually, and the Ha radiation intensity was decreased abruptly. A five-channel far-infared (FIR) hydrogen cyanide (HCN) laser interferometer was used to measure the electron density profile. The evolution of the density profile and the soft X ray intensity profile were studied during the improved confinement phase. The electron density diffusion coefficient was studied carefully for IBW heating discharges. The results were compared with Ohmic heating plasma and with different toroidal field Bt (2.0 T and 1.8 T). For 30MHz frequency of IBW heating, the higher Bt leads the lower electron density diffusion coefficient at the region of r/a > 0.6 in the HT-7.

In this chapter, we introduce the fundamental electrochemical analysis of reactions in the nonaqueous Li–air battery in order to apply it to the study of Li–air battery applications. In the presence and absence of the Li+ cation, oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are investigated in nonaqueous systems to clarify the electrochemistry that happens on the cathode regarding the charge–discharge processes. The effects of electrolyte solvents and the electrode materials on the ORR and OER are also discussed in detail. Moreover, the correlation between the electrode structure and products morphology is made with the battery performance regarding the charge–discharge capacity, rate performance, and stability. The different electrochemical reaction interface or interphase referring to the material, structure, conductivity, and distribution during charging and discharging processes are also discussed in this chapter.

Modern space electronics used in satellites are vulnerable to performance degradations and even system failure due to exposure to highly energized charged particles, such as electrons and protons originating from solar particle events, galactic cosmic rays, and trapped particles in the Van Allen Belts. The compact, radiation hard, detector system reported here distinguishes between electron events and proton events and provides the dose for both types of radiation on an event-by-event basis. This information enables an accurate estimate of component lifetimes and the damage effects in electronics resulting from total ionizing dose (TID), displacement damage dose (DDD), and single event upsets (SEU). The detector components consist of a space-compatible scintillation material, crystalline Diphenylanthracene (DPA), coupled to a Solid-State Photomultiplier (SSPM) to detect and discriminate electrons and protons based on pulse shape discrimination (PSD) techniques. The results presented here demonstrate further characterization of the detector's critical components including PSD capabilities for DPA coupled to RMD's 2nd generation SSPMs. The sensor characterization results show that proton events with energies below ∼400 MeV can be distinguished from electron events with energies below ∼200 MeV. The low energy threshold for the sensor is 240 keV at room temperature. The sensor is tested with a 241AmBe source, where the electron dose, from gamma rays, is 0.19 mGy, the proton dose (from neutron recoils) is 0.70 mGy, compared to the measured dose of 0.16 mSv from a Victoreen 451 survey meter. Additionally, this paper describes the dose calculation method, assumptions, and the FPGA-based readout system that has been designed to process the DPA-SSPM detector output for identification of electron-proton events.

We report an investigation of third-order optical nonlinearities in Ge nanocrystals (∼6 nm radius) embedded in silica matrix using the Z-scan and pump-probe techniques with femtosecond laser pulses at 780-nm wavelength. The nanocrystallite Ge samples were prepared using magnetron co-sputtering and post-thermal annealing at 800 °C. The nonlinear absorption coefficient and refractive index of the Ge nanocrystals were determined to be in the range from 1.8×10-7 to 6.8×10-7 cm/W and 1.5×10-12 to 8.0×10-12 cm2/W, respectively, which are proportional to the Ge atomic fraction in the matrix. Relaxation of the nonlinear response was found to have two characteristic time constants, 1.8 ps and 65 ps. The mechanisms responsible for the observed nonlinear response are discussed.

Ion Bernstein wave (IBW) heating has been investigated in the HT-7 superconducting tokamak. Electron heating mode was concentrated on deuterium plasma with an injecting power to 320?kW. The bulk electron temperature showed a significant rise with a heating factor, ?Te?ne/PRF, up to 9.4?eV?1013?cm-3?kW-1. The direct electron heating via electron Landau damping from IBW has been demonstrated after intensive RF wall conditioning. Both on-axis and off-axis electron heating were obtained. Electron temperature profile was modified by IBW under different plasma conditions. Edge density showed no sharp drop during IBW heating. Plasma density and temperature remained almost unchanged in front of antenna. But edge temperature and density inside of plasma visibly increased and their profiles became steeper. Particle confinement improvement was observed by IBW.

The density profiles were measured in the Hefei tokamak-7 (HT-7) [World Survey of Activities in Controlled Fusion Research, Nuclear Fusion Special Supplement (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1997), p. 61] ohmic discharges by means of a new multichannel far-infrared (FIR) laser interferometer. The progress on the extension of the HT-7 ohmic discharge operation region was introduced. The experiment results at the density limit, the multifaceted asymmetric radiation from the edge (MARFE) phenomena, the rf (radio frequency) boronization experiments, and the fueling efficiency studies were reported. The plasma physics in the molecular beam injection (MBI), the pellet injection (PI), and the gas puffing (GP) fueling experiments was studied and discussed.

Multifaceted asymmetric radiation from the edge (MARFE) phenomena on the HT-7 superconducting tokamak are summarized in this paper. The best correlation has been found between the total input ohmic power and the product of the edge line average density and Z eff . The occurrence of MARFEs are strongly correlated with impurity density, and always occur at Z eff =3–8 ohmic discharges. In the HT-7 tokamak high Z eff discharges, it is found that the MARFEs usually occur at values of Z eff 1/2 ρ in the range of 0.5–0.7, where ρ =π a 2 n e / I p (10 20 MA −1 m −1 ). In the case of good wall condition ( Z eff =1–2), the onset of MARFEs have not been observed before reaching the Greenwald density limit on the HT-7. Improved confinement mode induced by a MARFE is observed, and it is maintained for about 40 ms. MARFE cools the plasma edge, and the electron density profile is observed to become more narrow and peaked.

Zinc oxide thin films have been grown on silicon (100) and sapphire (0001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The thin films deposited at different processing parameters were evaluated by x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The influences of substrate temperature and laser fluence on the properties of the deposited thin films were studied. The full width at half maximum of (0002) x-ray diffraction lines of the films deposited on silicon and sapphire substrates reach a value as small as 0.25° and 0.18°, respectively. The relationship between the intensities of the peaks at 438 and 579 cm−1 in ZnO Raman spectra and deposition temperature were also investigated. Average roughness and surface morphology of the ZnO thin films deposited on Si substrates were evaluated by AFM.