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For identifying the surface features of ultra-smooth optical or non-optical surfaces, light scattering analysis and measurement is a very useful method. Aiming at the requirement of detecting depth information of surface defects on ultra-smooth surfaces, the author propose a method of measuring the depth information about the surface defects of optical elements by using a relationship model between surface roughness and surface defects. The relationship between surface roughness and surface scratches is analyzed, and the relationship model is established. Then, by simulating the surface roughness with scratches and without scratches, according to the relationship model, the depth information of the surface of the optical component is calculated and the correctness of the model is verified. Finally, the length and width information of the surface scratches are measured according to the microscopic scattering dark field imaging method, the surface roughness is measured by white light interferometry, and the depth information of the surface scratches is calculated according to the above relationship model. The results are compared with the conclusion of the white light interferometer. The depth calculated by the roughness is basically consistent with the measured scratch depth, and the error is between 0.205 nm and 4.246 nm. Therefore, the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of this proposed method.

Very recently, a stable structure of layered transition metal phosphides MP2 (M = Ni, Pd and Pt) has been discovered. This study reveals that these three materials are semiconductor materials with a direct band gap (0.5–0.85 eV) and also have very high hole and electron mobility. The electron mobility of the PtP2 monolayer is surprisingly as high as 14.4 × 104 cm2 V−1 s−1. Based on their excellent electronic properties, herein we predict the thermoelectric (TE) performance of MP2 monolayers by using first-principles and Boltzmann transport equation. The calculation results show that the single-layer NiP2, PdP2 and PtP2 have low lattice thermal conductivity 7.6 W m−1 K−1, 9.0 W m−1 K−1 and 17.8 W m−1 K−1 at room temperature, respectively, which is mainly caused by the small phonon group velocity, low relaxation time, high Gruneisen parameter and large phonon scattering phase space. Because of the ultra-high carrier mobility and the highly degenerate band structure, MP2 monolayers have large Seebeck coefficient, and the value of PdP2 reaches up to 283 μV K−1 at 300 K. The good phonon and electrical transport properties give the MP2 monolayers a high TE figure of merit (ZT). The maximum ZT of NiP2 and PdP2 monolayers at 500 K is 1.52 (p-type) and 1.95 (n-type), respectively, and the corresponding concentration of maximum ZT MP2 monolayers is around 1011 cm−2. Overall, our work indicates that the MP2 monolayers are the promising candidates in TE applications.

Through first-principles calculations and using the Boltzmann transport equation, we explore the thermoelectric (TE) properties of CaP3 from the three-dimensional (3D) bulk form to a two-dimensional (2D) monolayer. Herein, our results prove that reducing the dimensionality not only can avoid the poor TE performance along certain crystal orientations, but also can effectively reduce the thermal conductivity. More remarkably, the Seebeck coefficients of the monolayer exhibit a dramatic enhancement compared to its bulk form. Some inherent phonon properties, such as the low acoustic phonon group velocity of ∼1.41 km s−1, large Gruneisen parameters of ∼30, and short phonon relaxation time, can greatly hinder its heat transport ability, leading to an ultralow lattice thermal conductivity of ∼0.65 W m−1 K−1 for the monolayer at room temperature. The size effect is much less sensitive due to the short intrinsic phonon mean free path (MFP). The maximum figure of merit (ZT) for n-type doping at 700 K can reach 6.39 in the nanosheet along the a direction, which is enhanced nearly two times compared to its bulk form (2.83), due to the quantum confinement effect. Collectively, this work shows that low-dimensional nanostructure technology can effectively improve the thermoelectric conversion of this class of materials.

Based on first-principles calculations, we explore the electronic and phonon transport properties of a new-type two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal material XSe (X = Ge, Sn, and Pb), which can be prepar...

Recently, an air-stable layered semiconductor Bi2O2Se has been synthesized [Nat. Nanotechnol., 2017, 12, 530; Nano Lett. 2017, 17, 3021]. It possesses ultrahigh mobility, semiconductor properties, excellent environmental stability and easy accessibility. Here, we report on the thermal transport properties in monolayer (ML), bilayer (BL), and bulk forms of Bi2O2Se using density-functional theory and the Boltzmann transport approach. The results show that the ML exhibits better thermal transport properties than the BL and bulk. The intralayer opposite phonon vibrations greatly suppress the thermal transport and lead to an ultralow lattice thermal conductivity of ∼0.74 W m−1 K−1 in the ML, which has a large band gap of ∼2.12 eV, a low value of average acoustic group velocity of ∼0.76 km s−1, low-lying optical modes of ∼0.54 THz, strong optical-acoustic phonon coupling, and large Gruneisen parameters of ∼5.69. The size effect for all three forms is much less sensitive due to their short intrinsic phonon mean free path (MFP).

Monolayer SnP3 is a novel two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor material with high carrier mobility and large optical absorption coefficient, implying its potential applications in the photovoltaic and thermoelectric (TE) fields. Herein, we report on the TE properties of monolayer SnP3 utilizing first principles density functional theory (DFT) together with semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory. Results indicate that it exhibits a low lattice thermal conductivity of ∼4.97 W m-1 K-1 at room temperature, mainly originating from its small average acoustic group velocity (∼1.18 km s-1), large Gruneisen parameters (∼7.09), strong dipole-dipole interactions, and strong phonon-phonon scattering. A large in-plane charge transfer is observed, which results in a non-ignorable bipolar effect on the lattice thermal conductivity. The exhibited mixed mode between in-plane and out-of-plane vibrations enhances the complexity of the phonon phase space, which enhances the possibility of phonon scattering processes and results in suppression of thermal conductivity. A highly twofold degeneracy appearing at the K point gives a high Seebeck coefficient. Our calculated figure of merit (ZT) for optimal p-type doping at 500 K can approach 3.46 along the armchair direction, which is better than the theoretical value of 1.94 reported in the well-known TE material SnSe. Our studies here shed light on monolayer SnP3 in use as a TE material and supply insights to further optimize the TE properties in similar systems.

Bilayer transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructures obtained by vertical stacking have attracted considerable attention because of their potential applications in thermoelectric and optoelectronics devices. The thermal transport behavior plays a pivotal role in assessing their functional performance. Here, we systematically investigate the thermal transport properties of the MoS2/MoSe2 bilayer heterostructure (MoS2/MoSe2-BH) by combining first-principles calculations and Boltzmann transport theory (BTE). The results show that the thermal conductivity of MoS2/MoSe2-BH at room temperature is 25.39 W m−1 K−1, which is in-between those of monolayer MoSe2 and MoS2. According to our calculated orbital-resolved phonon dispersion curves, Gruneisen parameters, phonon group velocity and relaxation time, we find that the acoustic and low-frequency optical branches below 172.65 cm−1 have strong coupling and contribute mainly to the lattice thermal conductivity. Compared with free standing monolayer MoS2 and MoSe2, the lattice thermal conductivity of MoS2/MoSe2-BH is influenced by the weak van der Waals interlayer interactions.

Through first-principles calculations, we report the thermoelectric properties of two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal group-IV tellurides XTe (X = Ge, Sn and Pb), with quadruple layers (QL) in the Te-X-X-Te stacking sequence, as promising candidates for mid-temperature thermoelectric (TE) materials. The results show that 2D PbTe exhibits a high Seebeck coefficient (∼1996 μV K-1) and a high power factor (6.10 × 1011 W K-2 m-1 s-1) at 700 K. The lattice thermal conductivities of QL GeTe, SnTe and PbTe are calculated to be 2.29, 0.29 and 0.15 W m-1 K-1 at 700 K, respectively. Using our calculated transport parameters, large values of the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 0.67, 1.90, and 2.44 can be obtained at 700 K under n-type doping for 2D GeTe, SnTe, and PbTe, respectively. Among the three compounds, 2D PbTe exhibits low average values of sound velocity (0.42 km s-1), large Gruneisen parameters (∼2.03), and strong phonon scattering. Thus, 2D PbTe shows remarkable mid-temperature TE performance with a high ZT value under both p-type (2.39) and n-type (2.44) doping. The present results may motivate further experimental efforts to verify our predictions.

Monolayer KAgX are a class of novel two-dimensional (2D) layered materials with efficient optical absorption and superior carrier mobility, signifying their potential application prospect in photovoltaic (PV) and thermoelectric (TE) fields. Motivated by the recent theoretical studies on the KAgX monolayer, we carried out systematic investigations on the TE performance of KAgS and KAgSe monolayers, employing density functional theory (DFT) and semiclassical Boltzmann transport equation (BTE). For both KAgSe and KAgS monolayers, large Gruneisen parameters, low group velocities, and short phonon scattering time greatly hinder their heat transport and result in an ultralow thermal conductivity, 0.26 and 0.33 W m-1 K-1 at 300 K, respectively. A twofold degeneracy appearing at the Γ point and the abrupt slope of the density of states (DOS) near the Fermi level give rise to high Seebeck coefficients of KAgX monolayers. Due to the ultralow thermal conductivity and excellent electronic transport performance, the ZT values as high as 4.65 (3.11) and 4.05 (2.63) at 500 (300) K in the n-type doping for KAgSe and KAgS monolayers are obtained. The exceptional performance of KAgX monolayers sheds light on their immense potential applications in the medium-temperature (around 300-500 K) thermoelectric devices and greatly stimulates further experimental synthesis and validation.

Monolayer SnP

Recently, an air-stable layered semiconductor Bi

Bilayer transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructures obtained by vertical stacking have attracted considerable attention because of their potential applications in thermoelectric and optoelectronics devices. The thermal transport behavior plays a pivotal role in assessing their functional performance. Here, we systematically investigate the thermal transport properties of the MoS

Hexagonal M2C3 compound is a new predicted functional material with desirable band gaps, a large optical absorption coefficient, and ultrahigh carrier mobility, implying its potential applications in photoelectricity and thermoelectric (TE) devices. Based on density-functional theory and Boltzmann transport equation, we systematically research the TE properties of M2C3. Results indicate that the Bi2C3 possesses low phonon group velocity (~2.07 km/s), low optical modes (~2.12 THz), large Gr&uuml, neisen parameters (~4.46), and short phonon relaxation time. Based on these intrinsic properties, heat transport ability will be immensely restrained and therefore lead to a low thermal conductivity (~4.31 W/mK) for the Bi2C3 at 300 K. A twofold degeneracy is observed at conduction bands along &Gamma, M direction, which gives a high n-type electrical conductivity. Its low thermal conductivity and high Seebeck coefficient lead to an excellent TE response. The maximum thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of n-type can approach 1.41 for Bi2C3. This work shows a perspective for applications of TE and stimulate further experimental synthesis.

Different acupuncture-moxibustion therapies can produce different clinical effects, that is, the effect has specificity, which is significantly important in obtaining acupuncture-moxibustion efficacy. In this study, the clinical application laws of fire needle, acupoint injection, catgut embedment, acupoint application, moxibustion therapy and filiform needle acupuncture were summarized in the aspects of category of disease, efficacy and related prescriptions (such as medication and acupoint selection) based on the result of data mining, and the general applicable categories of disease of acupuncture-moxibustion treatment methods were further screened, so as to guide the clinical application and give play to the best efficacy.

Objective To provide objective basis for clinical decision through efficacy evaluation of randomized controlled trial on moxibustion in treatment of urinary retention. Methods Chinese National knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biology Medicine disc (CBM), VIP, Wanfang Data, and Sciencedirect were retrieved. The objects screened were from January 1, 1990 to June 30, 2013. Irrelevant, repeated and non-randomized controlled trials were excluded, and randomized controlled trials on moxibustion in treatment of urinary retention conforming to the inclusive criteria were selected. The quality of randomized controlled trials conforming to the inclusive criteria was evaluated using Jadad Scale, and the trials were analyzed statistically via RevMan5.2 software. The randomized controlled trials on moxibustion in treatment of urinary retention were evaluated systematically through Cochrane systematic review. Results Nineteen references with better homogeneity were included into the study. Based on Meta-analysis result, the consolidated effect size OR=6.95, 95%Cl(5.12, 9.44), consolidated effect size test Z=12.43, P Conclusion Moxibustion in treatment of urinary retention has a certain efficacy but there are some small sample size and low-quality literature in the study, big sample size and high-quality and formal randomized controlled trials are needed to study in the futher.

Sulfide nanocrystals and their composites have shown great potential in the thermoelectric (TE) field due to their extremely low thermal conductivity. Recently a solid and hollow metastable Au2S nanocrystalline has been successfully synthesized. Herein, we study the TE properties of this bulk Au2S by first-principles calculations and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory, which provides the basis for its further experimental studies. Our results indicate that the highly twofold degeneracy of the bands appears at the Γ point in the Brillouin zone, resulting in a high Seebeck coefficient. Besides, Au2S exhibits an ultra-low lattice thermal conductivity (∼ 0.88 W⋅m−1⋅K−1 at 700 K). At 700 K, the thermoelectric figure of merit of the optimal p-type doping is close to 1.76, which is higher than 0.8 of ZrSb at 700 K and 1.4 of PtTe at 750 K. Our work clearly demonstrates the advantages of Au2S as a TE material and would greatly inspire further experimental studies and verifications.

In this work, we theoretically design a new class of two-dimensional (2D) ternary transition-metal compound, namely, tetragonal Ti2BN monolayer sheet. The first-principles calculations proved that this system exhibits good dynamic and thermal stability, inherent metal properties and good mechanical properties. Additionally, we investigate the suitability of 2D Ti2BN as host materials in Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Our results show that the diffusion barrier of Li on surface (24 meV) and interlayer (165 meV) of Ti2BN monolayer are extremely low. At 300 K, their corresponding diffusion coefficient of Li are 6.08 × 10−3 and 0.028 × 10−3 cm s−1, respectively. Besides, it also exhibits extremely high theoretical capacity (889 mA h g−1) and low average open circuit voltage (0.24 V). All these advanced properties indicate that Ti2BN monolayer is a promising negative electrode material for LIBs. In order to facilitate the experimental synthesis of this material, we theoretically predicted that Ag (1 0 0), Au (1 0 0) and Sn (1 0 0) may be good growth substrates for Ti2BN sheet.

Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is an emerging and rampant arbovirus in Europe, and even Africa and West Asia. Investigating whether SBV existed in new regions or countries, it was very helpful for the early warning and control of SBV. In this study, we collected 317 serum samples (n = 242 for dairy cattle, n = 13 for yellow cattle, n = 21 for buffalo, and n = 41 for goats) from Guangdong province of southern China, which is located in a subtropical region and is an important distribution area for arboviral diseases. A commercial competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) kit and a previously established real-time PCR were used to detect SBV antibody and RNA in those serum samples. Via testing, serological evidence of SBV was confirmed, with total positive rates (57.4, 15.4, 19, and 9.8%) in dairy cattle, yellow cattle, buffalo, and goats, respectively, while no positive signal for SBV RNA was found. To summarize, this study for the first time provided preliminary serological evidence of SBV infection in China, East Asia. Further investigations on molecular evidence, origin, and pathogenesis of SBV in ruminants needed to be studied in China.

Monolayer silicon phosphide (SiP) and germanium phosphide (GeP) are predicted to exhibit fascinating electronic characters with highly stable structures, which indicate their potential applications in future electronic technologies. By using first-principles calculations combined with the semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory, we systematically investigate the thermoelectric properties of monolayer SiP and GeP. High anisotropy is observed in both phonon and electron transport of monolayer SiP and GeP where the thermal and electrical conductivity along the xx crystal direction are smaller than those along the yy crystal direction. The lattice thermal conductivity (room temperature) along the xx crystal direction is about 11.05 W/mK for monolayer SiP and 9.48 W/mK for monolayer GeP. However, monolayer SiP and GeP possess almost isotropic Seebeck coefficient, and the room temperature values with both n- and p-type doping approach 2.9 mV/K and 2.5 mV/K, respectively. Based on the electron relaxation time estimated from the deformation potential theory, the maximum thermoelectric figure of merit of monolayer SiP and GeP with n-type doping approach 0.76 and 0.78 at 700 K, respectively. The results presented in this work shed light upon the thermoelectric performance of monolayer SiP and GeP and foreshow their potential applications in thermoelectric devices.

To explore the regularities and features of compound reinforcing-reducing manipulation of acupuncture filiform needles in the treatment of clinical conditions or diseases by using data mining technique, so as to guide clinical practice.At first, the data base about the reinforcing-reducing manipulation (CRRM) of filiform needles for different clinical problems was established by collection, sorting, screening, recording, collation, data extraction of the related original papers published in journals and conferences and related academic dissertations from Jan. 1 of 1950 to Jan. 31 of 2015 by using key words of "acupuncture" "moxibustion" "needling" "filiform needle", and according to the included and excluded standards.A total of 130 835 papers met the included standards were collected. Outcomes of data mining in the present study showed that (1) the ORRM is most frequently applied in the internal medicine, followed by surgery, gynecology, ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology, dermatology, and pediatrics, successively, mostly for lumbago and leg pain; (2) the heat-producing needling manipulation is the most frequently applied technique, followed by cool-producing needling, dragon-tiger warring, yang occluding in yin, yin occluding in yang techniques; (3) the highest effective rate of CRRM is for problems of the pediatrics, followed by those of the internal medicine, surgery, ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology, dermatology, and gynecology; (4) the most fre- quently used acupoints are Zusanli (ST 36), then Sanyinjiao (SP 6), stimulated by heat-producing needling, and Zusanli (ST 36), then Quchi (LI 11), stimulated by cool-producing needling, and Huantiao (GB 30), stimulated by dragon-tiger warring needling.The compound reinforcing-reducing manipulation of acupuncture is most frequently applied to problems in the inter- nal medicine, predominately for lumbago and leg pain, and the best effectiveness is for pediatric conditions. The heat-producing needling and cool-producing needling are most frequently applied at Zusanli (ST 36) and the dragon-tiger warring manipulation is most frequently applied at Huantiao (GB 30).

Based on Fluid Dynamics and Combustion Theory, the model of pipeline was created by the software of CFD, and the spread of gas explosion was simulated in the conditions of pipelines of different lengths. The flame speed was obtained, as well as the the law of pressure changing with time in the pipeline. The results showed that the acceleration of flame speed could be divided into three phases: diffuse transmit, rise rapidly, inertial motion; oscillation pressure affected the turbulence of flame and was the significant reason to the rise of flame speed; when the pipeline got longer, the maximal flame speed would be higher, in addition, the transition distance that flame speed rise to a high value would tend to stable.

GaN epilayer is grown on maskless periodically grooved sapphire by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) in this article. Wing tilt is detected by high resolution X-ray rocking curve. Inhomogeneous deformations between the wing and mesa regions are found by atomic force microscopy (AFM) characterization. The stress distribution is investigated using finite-element simulations. Inhomogeneous stress distribution in the mesa and wing regions is shown, which is also confirmed by micro-Raman spectroscopy. The results show that the wing tilt in GaN layers grown on maskless periodically grooved sapphire mainly originates from the different deformations for mesa and wing region caused by inhomogeneous stress distribution.

High-resolution optical spectra of the zero age star HD77407 are analysed and its Li, C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Co, Ni and Ba contents are determined using spectral synthesis method. The temperature of the star is determined by fitting the H α line wings. The parameters derived for this star are T eff =5900 K, log g =4.47 and [Fe/H] = +0.07. It is found that the derived iron content is slightly higher than what is given in the published literature. This star shows a relative overabundances of Ca and Ba, and underabundances of Na, V and Ni with respect to the solar mix. Activity of the star is indicated by the filled in H α and Ca II triplet line cores. It has been confirmed that our spectroscopic approach yields fairly reliable and consistent results for active stars.

To discuss the specificity of diseases treated by moxibustion and fire needling in clinical practice, so as to provide references for clinical treatment.With data mining of modern computer technique, journal and literature databases regarding moxibustion and fire needling were established, respectively. Literature regarding moxibustion and fire needling for the past 60 years has been collected, screened, included, reviewed and abstracted. The utility rate of moxibustion and fire needling in each department was calculated, frequency of diseases in clinical practice was summarized, and diseases which had differences in clinical practice in each department were screened; also the advantages of disease categories and clinical practice between two kinds of therapies in each department were compared.(1) The utility rate of moxibustion was highest in department of internal medicine and surgery, which were 43.6% and 28.1%, respectively; the utility rate of fire needling was highest in surgery and dermatological department, which were 53.7% and 23.8%, respectively. (2) According to the comparison and analysis on diseases treated by two therapies in clinic, among 26 kinds of gynecology diseases that were treated by moxibustion, 20 kinds were not involved with fire needling; among 22 kinds of pediatrics diseases that were treated by moxibustion, 20 kinds were not involved with fire needling. It was certain that the difference of the two therapies in clinical application was more significant in gynecology and pediatrics than that in the rest four departments. (3) Among the diseases which had differences in clinical practice in each department, the ones involved with moxibustion alone were insomnia, distention and fullness, consumptive fatigue in the department of internal medicine, blood-vessel Bi, stiff neck and hernia in surgery department, urticarial, skin Bi and skin cancer in dermatological department, malposition, infertility and amenorrhea in gynecology department, diarrhea, indigestion and stomachache in pediatrics department, blepharoptosis, blurred vision and dryness syndrome in ENT department; the ones involved with fire needling alone were numbness, coldness syndrome and acute renal colic in the department of internal medicine, lipoma, soft tissue injury and papilloma in surgery department, bromhidrosis, freckle and erysipelas in dermatological department, uterine fibroid in gynecology department, umbilical polyp in pediatrics department, auricle pseudocyst, starred nebula and phlegmatic mass in ENT department.Moxibustion is frequently applied in department of internal medicine and surgery, while fire needling is frequently used in surgery and dermatological department; the application of moxibustion is broader than that of fire needling in gynecology and pediatrics department. Among the diseases which have differences in clinical practice in each department, moxibustion is commonly seen for clinical symptoms featured with deficiency syndrome, while fire needling is commonly applied for the diseases that have obvious local symptoms.

To explore the regularities and characteristics of application of moxibustion therapy for different clinical problems or diseases by using data mining technique.A database on moxibustion therapy was established first by collection, sorting, screening, recording, collation, data extraction of the related literatures published in recent 60 years. By analyzing the appearance-frequency of clinical disorders treated by moxibustion and their effective rates, the regularities and characteristics were summed up.Moxibustion therapy has been used to treat 193 types of clinical disorders or diseases up to now, mostly in internal medicine for 72 types (accounting for 37%). Of the collected 2 516 articles about moxibustion therapy, 1 107 are for problems of the internal medicine, accounting for 44% ; those of facial paralysis and uroschesis are 139 and 108 respectively. The second and third mostly seen articles are surgery and gynecology respectively. Analysis on the therapeutic effect showed that moxibustion therapy is effective for relieving many types of clinical conditions or diseases, particularly those of pediatrics, surgery and dermatology. By taking both the appearing frequency and efficacy into account, analysis on the therapeutic effect shows that a total of 29 types of clinical disorders are preferably treated by moxibustion, including 12 types (41. 4%) attributed to the department of internal medicine, 10 types (34. 5%) to the department of surgery, 2 types to the department of dermatology, 3 types to the department of gynecology, one to the pediatrics and one to the department of five-organs.Moxibustion therapy is effective for many clinical disorders, particularly for those of the department of internal medicine and surgery.

To explore the specific efficacy of different moxibustion techniques in treatment of common diseases and clinical indications, and compare the specificity in clinical indications and efficacy among different moxibustion techniques so as to guide clinical practice better.The modern computerization and data mining technology were adopted to set up moxibustion literature database. The relevant literature of moxibustion techniques in recent 60 years were collected, screened, examined, extracted and analyzed statistically so as to explore the advantages of different moxibustion techniques in clinical treatment.(1) Of 2,516 literature, moxa stick, moxe cone and moxa device were used in the highest frequency in internal medicine department, for 730 times, 278 times and 102 times respectively. The warm needling technique was used in the highest frequency, for 70 times in the surgical department. (2) In the dermatology department, the curative rate with moxa cone was the highest, 75%. In the ear-nose-throat department, the warm needing technique and moxa device achieved the highest curative rate, 49% for both of them. In the internal medicine department and surgical department, the curative rate of warm needling technique was 53% and 58% respectively. In the gynecology department, the curative rate of moxa device was the highest, 59%. In the pediatrics department, the curative rate of moxa cone was the highest, 80%. (3) The numbers of priority disorders, frequency ≥20 times: 24 kinds of disease for moxa stick, five kinds of disease for moxa cone, 2 kinds of disease for warm needling technqiue and one disorder for moxa device. Facial paralysis, diarrhea, lumbar and leg pain and elbow and knee swelling pain were of the highest priority, treated with these 4 moxibustion techniques, with a certain of literature research values. (4) The warm needling technique achieved the better efficacy on elbow and knee swelling pain, lumbar and leg pain and diarrhea compared with the other three techniques and the curative rate was higher. The moxa device tecnique achieved the higher curative rate for facial paralysis compared with the other three techniques.Through the comparison of application frequency, curative rate, clinical application frequency in disorders and the efficacy of priority disorders in the treatment with different moxibustion techniques, it is found that moxa stick, moxa cone and moxa device are simple in manipulation, safe and effective. Hence, they can be extensively used in the treatment of common disorders in every department in clinic. The warm needling technique acts on the body by the co-work of needling and warming stimulation of mugwort. It achieves the particular effect on the disorders with complicated etiologies compared with the other three techniques. It can be chosen in priority for the disorders caused by blockage in meridian and collateral and stagnation of qi and blood.

Mycoplasma bovis is a major bacterial pathogen causing mastitis in dairy cattle, pneumonia and arthritis, and reduced weight gain in calves and reproductive problems in both dairy cattle and bulls, resulting in significant economic losses. The objective of the present investigation was to examine the M. bovis seroprevalence in dairy cattle in Guangzhou, subtropical Southern China by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 370 serum samples of dairy cattle were collected between July, 2009 and March, 2010 from 5 different farms and examined for M. bovis antibodies using a commercially available ELISA kit. The overall seroprevalence of M. bovis infection in dairy cattle was 5.95% (22/370). One year-old dairy cattle had the highest seroprevalence (10.5%), followed by dairy cattle of 3 year-old (9.61%). Dairy cattle without pregnancy had the highest seroprevalence (9.26%), followed by dairy cattle with 2 pregnancies (8.62%). However, no statistically significant association was found between M. bovis infection and ages or numbers of pregnancies (P>0.05). These results indicate that M. bovis infection was present in dairy cattle in Guangzhou, subtropical Southern China, and integrated strategies and measures should be executed to control and prevent M. bovis infection and disease outbreak in the study region. Key words: Mycoplasma bovis, seroprevalence, dairy cattle, China, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

To construct the eukaryotic expression plasmids of hTSHR extracellular domain and study their expression in CHO cells.The human TSHR extracellular domain cDNAs, which were 188-403 bp and 407-904 bp, were amplified from human normal thyroid by RT-PCR. Two fragments were inserted into pcDNA3.1(D)/V5-His-TOPO.Then the recombinant plasmids pcDNA3.1-hTSHRf and pcDNA3.1-hTSHRe were transfected into CHO cells by Lipofectin after they were identified by restricting enzyme HindIII digestion analysis, PCR amplifying and DNA sequencing. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis were used to analyse hTSHR expression on mRNA and at protein levels.Two bands of 220 bp and 540 bp were amplified from CHO cells transfected by the recombinant plasmids pcDNA3.1-hTSHRf and pcDNA3.1-hTSHRe, respectively. Western blot analysis revealed that CHO cells transfected by pcDNA3.1-hTSHRf and pcDNA3.1-hTSHRe had strong bands with molecular weight of about 11 900 and 23 600, respectively.The recombinant plasmids have been successfully constructed. The transcription on CHO cells transfected by the recombinant plasmids has been proved by RT-PCR and eukaryotic expression has been confirmed by Western blot analysis. Our research will contribute to further study on gene expression in vivo and the establishment of animal models of Graves' disease.

Endocytosis is a fundamental cellular event in membrane retrieval after exocytosis and in the regulation of receptor-mediated signal transduction. In contrast to the well-studied depolarization-induced membrane recycling, little is known about the kinetics of ligand-induced endocytosis of G-protein-coupled receptors in neurons. Here we investigated the kinetics of ligand-receptor binding-induced endocytosis in rat sensory neurons using a membrane capacitance assay. The time constant of ADP-induced endocytosis of P2Y-receptors was determined as 1.7s. The ADP-induced endocytosis was blocked by antagonists against P2Y, phosphorylation, and clathrin. However, block of dynamin was without effect. The ADP-induced endocytosis was confirmed independently by a single vesicle image technique using a styryl FM2-10. Finally, the receptors were internalized in response to ADP, as determined by GFP-labeled P2Y. We conclude that ligand-receptor binding leads to rapid endocytosis in the cytoplasm of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons.

Takin (Budorcas taxicolor) is a large animal living in China and other adjacent countries, which belongs to Bovidae of Artiodactyla. The anatomy, morphology and behavior of takin are between species of the subfamily Bovinae and Caprinae. It is now in a separated genus or in the same genus with muskox (Ovibos moschatus). To gain insight into the evolution of takin, we purified and cloned its highly repetitive BamHI fragments from the genomic DNA. The sequences of three fragments were highly homologous, indicative of units of a large repetitive DNA arrays. Southern hybridization using these fragments as probes showed identical patterns among individuals in both the same and different subspecies, implying conserved sequences and distributions of the BamHI clusters in takin genome. Sequence comparison with 1.714 and 1.715 satellite DNA of other species in Bovidae supports that takin has a closer relationship with the subfamily Caprinae than with Bovinae. It also suggests that these BamHI fragments may represent repeat units of the centromeric satellite DNA of takin.