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A continuous-flow photocatalytic synthesis of the industrially important thiuram disulfides has been developed, utilizing O2 as the oxidant and Eosin Y as the photoredox catalyst. This highly atom- and step-economical method features much reduced reaction time as well as excellent product yield and purity, making it a sustainable and potentially scalable process for industrial production.

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy between percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) and percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in the treatment of Kümmell’s disease in Chinese patients. Methods The studies using randomized controlled trials to compare clinical efficacy between PVP and PKP in the treatment of Kümmell’s disease in Chinese patients were retrieved from Embase, Pubmed, Central, Cinahl, PQDT, CNKI, CQVIP, Wanfang Data, and CBM (from September 2008 to September 2018). Keywords for both Chinese and English search were: percutaneous vertebroplasty, PVP, percutaneous kyphoplasty, PKP, and Kümmell’s disease. A total of 132 articles were retrieved based on the search strategy through online database searching and manual searching. Finally, one foreign report and seven Chinese reports were included. After extracting the data, statistical software Review Manager 5.3 was used for data analysis. Results Through comparison, Cobb angle (95% CI [0.54, 4.42), P = 0.01] and Oswestry Dysfunction Index (ODI) (95% CI [0.21, 2.15], P= 0.02) of PKP group was smaller than that of PVP group. Postoperative anterior vertebral body height of the PKP group was better than PVP group (95% CI [−1.27, −0.66], P < 0.001]. However, the PVP group had shorter operation time than PKP group (95% CI [−13.48, −7.43), P = 0.001]. In the other outcome measures, including Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score (95% CI [−0.04, 0.27), P = 0.15), cement volume (95% CI [−0.82, 0.32], P = 0.39) and cement leakage (95% CI [0.90, 2.76], P = 0.11), there was no significant differences between the two procedures. Conclusions At this stage, there is sufficient evidence to support that PKP is better than PVP in the treatment of Kümmell’s disease in Chinese patients. Although PVP surgery requires much less operation time, PKP has better postoperative radiological results and lower ODI. Moreover, both of them had similar clinical results (e.g., analgesic effects, cement dosage, and leakage rate). Further evidence is dependent on the emergence of randomized controlled trials with higher quality and larger sample sizes in the future.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and safety of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP) and iliac crest autograft in the fusion treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis. Methods: The studies using randomized controlled trials to compare the rhBMP with iliac crest autograft in the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis were retrieved from Embase, Pubmed, ProQuest dissertations & theses (PQDT), China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Database, Wanfang Data, Cochrane Library (from March 1998 to March 2018). Postoperative fusion rate, clinical success rate, postoperative intervertebral height, complications, operation time, blood loss and duration of hospitalization were chosen as the outcome indicators. Methodological quality of the trials was critically assessed, and relevant data were extracted. Statistical software Revman 5.3 was used for data-analysis. Results: Eleven articles were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that, comparing the efficacy of rhBMP with iliac crest autograft, statistical significance was found in the 24-month fusion rate post operation [95% CI (1.38, 24.70), p ＝0.02] and operation time [95% CI (-14.22, -2.08), p ＝0.008]. There is not sufficient evidence for statistical differences in the remaining indicators. Conclusion: The current literature shows rhBMP is a safe and effective grafting material in the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis. Further evidence is dependent on the emergence of more randomized controlled trials with higher quality and larger sample sizes in the future. Key words: Spondylolysis; Bone morphogenetic proteins; Ilium; Autografts; Meta-analysis

Background It has been noted that anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury-induced cartilage degeneration is the key risk factor for post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). However, whether the cartilage degeneration after ACL injury is caused by inflammation, abnormal biomechanics or both remains largely unknown, as there has been no animal model for separating the two factors so far. Methods Eighteen-month-old female mini-pigs were divided into an “idealized” anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (IACLR) group and a control group (n = 16 limbs per group). Real-time PCR, safranine O staining and indian ink staining were performed to verify whether animal models were successfully established or not. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between levels of the inflammatory factors (including interferon [IFN]-γ, interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α measured by the Luminex method) and changes in cartilage histology (quantified by morphological scoring) after surgery. Results A significant OA cartilage damage with increased MMP-1, MMP-13 mRNA levels and reduced aggrecan mRNA/protein levels was observed in IACLR groups. As a result, the IACLR gross morphology score was dramatically increased than control. Moreover, IACLR significantly increased the levels of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α in the synovial fluid of the knee. Most importantly, a close relationship was found between IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations and morphological score of PTOA, respectively. Conclusion These results demonstrated that inflammatory factors are independently responsible for the onset of PTOA.

The main pathological change in post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is cartilage degeneration, which is closely related to inflammation and oxidative stress. Inflammation can cause degeneration of articular cartilage. Cartilage degeneration can also stimulate the progression of inflammation. It has been found that inflammatory cytokines can participate in the pathological process of cartilage degeneration through multiple signaling pathways, mainly mitogen-activated protein kinase, nuclear transcription factor kappa B, and Wnt–β-catenin signal transduction pathways. This review aimed at exploring the relationship between PTOA and inflammation-related cytokines by introducing the role of proinflammatory cytokines in chondrocyte destruction and extracellular matrix degradation.

This study aimed to explore the differences between the effectiveness of using a combination of rehabilitation and acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), and rehabilitation therapy alone for the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI). The newly admitted patients with spinal cord injury whose post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) score was higher than 38 points were randomly categorized into the treatment group and control group, with 30 patients in each group. One group underwent ACT and rehabilitation treatment, while the other underwent rehabilitation treatment only. PTSD and functional independence measure (FIM) scores were evaluated. Changes in scores were compared between the two groups before, one month, two months, and three months after treatment. The total PTSD score in SCI patients who were treated with ACT was significantly different before and after treatment (P

Background: To identify the critical amino acid residues that contribute to the high enzyme activity and good thermostability of Yersinia enterocolitica subsp. palearctica (Y. NSN), 15 mutants of Y. NSN were obtained by site-directed mutagenesis in this study. And their enzyme activity and thermostability were assayed. Effect of several factors on the enzyme activity and thermostability of Y. NSN, was also investigated. Results: The results showed that the I203F and D264E mutants retained approximately 75% and 70% enzyme activity, respectively, compared to the wild-type enzyme. In addition to the I203F and D264E mutants, the mutant E202A had an obvious influence on the thermostability of Y. NSN. According to the analysis of enzyme activity and thermostability of Y. NSN, we found that Glu202, Ile203 and Asp264 might be the key residues for its high enzyme activity and good thermostability. Conclusions: Among all factors affecting enzyme activity and thermostability of Y. NSN, they failed to explain the experimental results well. One reason might be that the enzyme activity and thermostability of Y. NSN were affected not only by a single factor but also by the entire environment. Normal 0 21 false false false ES X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}

To compare the difference between robotic-assisted TKA and traditional TKA by Meta-annlysis in order to determine whether robotic-assisted TKA can provide better lower limb force line and clinical prognosis.Computerized searches of Embase, Pubmed, Web of Science and CNKI, Wanfang and VIP databases were conducted until November 2018 to find out the difference between robotic assisted TKA and traditional TKA. After screening, quality evaluation and data extraction according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, Revman 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis of literature data.Six clinical controlled studies were included, 253 in robot-assisted TKA group and 231 in traditional TKA group. Meta-analysis showed that the incidence of coronal force line angle[WMD=-1.00, 95%CI(-1.66, -0.35),The application of robotic assistant system in TKA surgery can significantly improve the accuracy of prosthesis fixation, better reconstruct the lower limb line of force, and has the potential advantages of reducing postoperative pain and promoting the recovery of knee joint function. Due to the limitation of the quantity and quality of the included literature, a high-quality randomized controlled study with long-term follow-up is still needed in the future to support the conclusions of this paper.

Objective This study was performed to compare the clinical efficacy between the OrthoPilot navigation system and conventional manual surgery in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. Methods The Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases were searched for clinical trials. The outcome measurements were the anteversion angle, inclination angle, and complications. Review Manager 5.3 statistical software was used for the data analysis. Results Significant differences were found in the femoral offset and overall complication rate between the conventional and navigation groups. Additionally, the conventional group had significantly less anteversion than the navigation group. However, the navigation group had significantly better inclination. The operation time was significantly shorter in the conventional than navigation group. Conclusion Both the OrthoPilot navigation system and conventional total hip arthroplasty result in significant improvements in patient function with similar overall complication rates and have their own advantages in achieving good cup position. The conventional procedure has a shorter operation time than does use of a navigation system.

To systematically evaluate clinical effects of metal and non-metallic materials in internal fixation for patellar fracture.The reports concerning about controlled trial of metallic and non-metallic materials for patellar fracture from create database to June 2018 were searched from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of science, CNKI and Wanfang data. Information was screened and taken out according to inclusion and exclusion criteria by 2 researchers, and risk of bias in non-andomised studies of interventions (ROBINS-I) was used to evaluate literature quality. Rate of reoperation, excellent and good rate of clinical rehabilitation, incidence of postoperative complications were compared with Revman 5.3 software for Meta-analysis.Totally 9 retrospective cohort studies including 493 patients were selected. There was no significant difference in reoperation rate of internal fixation failure between metallic implants and non-metallic implants[OR=0.52, 95% CI (0.25, 1.08)Non-metallic plants could provide the same success rate of internal fixation as metal plants, could improve the excellent and good rate of postoperative rehabilitation by reducing incidence of complications associated with metallic plants. In further, more evidence-level research is needed to confirm in the future.

Background Several studies have compared robotics‐assisted (RA) and conventional manual (CM) approaches for total hip arthroplasty (THA), but their results are controversial. Methods A literature search was conducted for controlled clinical trials (CCTs) comparing the clinical efficacy of the RA and CM approaches for THA and published between August 1998 and August 2018. The obtained data were analyzed using the statistical software Review Manager 5.3. Results Fourteen articles were included in the meta‐analysis, which revealed that the RA group had less intraoperative complications, better cup angle, and more cases of cup placement in the safe zone than the CM group. However, the operation time required for the CM group was less than that required for the RA group. Moreover, postoperative complications (eg, dislocation and revision surgery) were less frequent in the CM group than in the RA group. However, the two groups had similar functional scores, total number of complications, and rate of occurrence of limb length discrepancy. Conclusion Compared with the CM approach, the RA approach yields better radiological outcomes and fewer intraoperative complications in THA, but similar functional scores.

This paper mainly discusses the optimal solution for hyper-sphere integral classification process of big data. The paper proposes an optimal calculation method for the target problem. Through statistics and analysis of big data, we get the constraint condition, and calculate a maximum value of data characteristic. Then, by the dual programming of Quadratic Programming, we obtain the optimal classification function for hyper-sphere integral classification process of big data. The experiment results show that the proposed algorithm can significantly improve the accuracy of the classification hyper-sphere integral for big data.

Powdery mildew (Pm) caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt) is one of the world’s major wheat diseases and results in large grain yield losses. Discovery and utilization of Pm resistance genes constitute the most common strategy for wheat Pm control. Hongyoumai, a wheat landrace from Henan Province in China, has excellent resistance to infection by Bgt. In order to identify the basis of such Pm resistance, a segregating population was submitted to genetic analysis, which showed that Pm resistance in Hongyoumai was conferred by a single recessive resistance gene. This gene was temporarily named pmHYM. Molecular marker analysis, chromosomal location, resistance spectrum analysis, and an allelism test showed that pmHYM was located on the long arm of chromosome 7B (7BL), most likely representing a new recessive resistance gene allelic with Pm5e and mlXBD. By using 90-kb single-nucleotide polymorphism sequences (SNP) in the BLASTn analysis against the wheat 7BL genome sequence, 12 new simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers linked with pmHYM were developed to map pmHYM co-segregating with the marker Xmp1207 and between markers Xmp925 and Xmp1158, at genetic distances of 2.8 and 2.7 cM, respectively. In addition, physical mapping of the markers linked with pmHYM using Chinese Spring deletion lines indicated a location in the 0.86–1.00 bin of 7BL.

By using a V-shaped N-containing ligand and a V-shaped carboxylate ligand, we have successfully synthesized a 3D novel copper homochiral coordination polymer, namely [Cu(OPY)(1,3-bdc)]n (complex 1), [1,3-H2bdc = isophthalic acid, OPY = 4,4′-(oxybis(4,1-phenylene))dipyridine]. The compound has been solvothermally synthesized and characterized by IR, elemental analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction, XRD, UV–vis, and TG analysis. The complex 1 crystallizes in the chiral space group P65 and possesses an unprecedented uninodal 3D 75∙ 8 topology. However, the complex was synthesized by achiral materials. The complex 1 displays a moderate SHG response and its SHG efficiency is about 0.3 times that of urea. In addition, the compound shows high thermal stability.

A new non-specific nuclease from Yersinia enterocolitica subsp. palearctica (Y. NSN) was expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli) BL 21 StarTM (DE3)plysS. Induction conditions, including isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG) concentration, cell density (OD600), induction time and induction temperature, were optimized using response surface methodology. Statistical analysis of the results revealed that induction temperature and all the quadratic terms of variables had significant effects on enzyme activity of Y. NSN. The optimal induction conditions were as follows: 1.5 mmol/L IPTG, OD600 of 0.80, induction time of 20.5 h, and induction temperature of 32 °C. Under the optimized conditions, the highest enzyme activity could be obtained.

Aluminum salt flame retardants have been synthesized by the chemical method under different reaction conditions. And then, the influence of the reaction temperature, ammonia concentration, aluminum ion concentration and addition on the thermal decomposition characteristics of aluminum salt flame retardants is analyzed and discussed on the basis of the experimental results obtained by using thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. Seeding experiments with the current work may have significant potential towards the exploration and development of inorganic salt flame retardants with good thermal decomposition performance.

The aluminum salt flame retardants powders are prepared with ammonia and aluminum chloride hexahydrate by chemical precipitation method under different conditions. The effect of the reaction temperature, ammonia concentration and aluminum ion concentration on the particle diameter are systematically studied. In addition, the effects of additions on the particles diameter of aluminum salt flame retardants are also explored by adding different additions in the experiments. On the basis of the experimental results, the process conditions synthesizing the minimum particle diameters are obtained, which may provide the beneficial reference for inorganic flame retardant powders.

In this paper, a new encapsulation carrier was applied in order to improve the survival of Lactobacillus bulgaricus ( L. bulgaricus ). L. bulgaricus was encapsulated in alginate–milk microspheres prepared by extrusion method. Around 100% encapsulation yield was achieved. The tolerance of encapsulated L. bulgaricus to adverse environments such as low pH (pH 2.0 and 2.5), high concentration of bile salt (1.0% and 2.0%) and long time storage (1 month), was investigated. Release characteristic of encapsulated L. bulgaricus in Simulated Intestine Fluid (SIF) was also studied. The results showed that encapsulation could improve the tolerance of L. bulgaricus to adverse environments. The viability of encapsulated L. bulgaricus did not change after 120 min incubation in Simulated Gastric Fluid (SGF) pH 2.5. The viability of encapsulated L. bulgaricus could be kept more than 8 log CFU/g after 120 min incubation in SGF pH 2.0. The viability of encapsulated L. bulgaricus in 1% bile salt solution was reduced from 9.98 log CFU/g microspheres to 9.24 and 8.48 log CFU/g microspheres after 1 and 2 h incubation, respectively. Around 1.3 and 2.1 log CFU/g microspheres were reduced after 1 and 2 h exposure in 2% bile salt solution, respectively. Full viability of encapsulated L. bulgaricus could be preserved after 1 month’s storage at 4 °C. L. bulgaricus encapsulated in alginate–milk microspheres could be completely released in 1 h. These studies demonstrated encapsulation of L. bulgaricus in alginate–milk microspheres is an effective protection technique against extreme simulated gastrointestinal environment.

This paper introduced an integrated control teaching system of building completely based on the technique of Lon bus. This system has the typed configuration of IBMS system-two classes network and three layers management (control), and overcomes the limitation of island of information and use protocol conversion gateway in building integration system, it’s a kind of building control integration system with truly open and with standard equivalent system network structure. The system has the characteristic of structure completed, technology.

The effect of calcination conditions on the size and killing activity of CaO nanoparticles towards L. plantarum was studied in this paper. The results showed that CaO nanoparticles with a diameter of 20 nm could be obtained under the investigated conditions. The lethal effect of CaO nanoparticles after incubation of 6 or 24 h increased with increasing calcination time. Using CaO-SA, CaO-SB, and CaO-SC after a 24-h exposure, 2.25, 3.37, and 5.97 log L. plantarum were killed, respectively, at a concentration of 100 ppm. The current results show that the use of CaO nanoparticles as antibacterial agents has significant potential in food-relevant industries.

The design and synthesis of new organic lgands is important to the rapid development of coordination polymers (CPs). However, CPs based on asymmetric ligands are still rare, mainly because such ligands are usually expensive and more difficult to synthesize. The new asymmetric ligand 4-[4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl]pyridine (IPP) has been used to construct the title one-dimensional coordination polymer,catena-poly[[[aqua{4-[4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl-κN3)phenyl]pyridine}cadmium(II)]-μ-5-hydroxybenzene-1,3-dicarboxylato-κ3O1,O1′:O3] monohydrate], {[Cd(C8H4O5)(C14H11N3)2(H2O)]·H2O}n, under hydrothermal reaction of IPP with CdIIin the presence of 5-hydroxyisophthalic acid (5-OH-H2bdc). The CdIIcation is coordinated by two N atoms from two distinct IPP ligands, three carboxylate O atoms from two different 5-OH-bdc2−dianionic ligands and one water O atom in a distorted octahedral geometry. The cationic [Cd(IPP)2]2+nodes are linked by 5-OH-bdc2−ligands to generate a one-dimensional chain. These chains are extended into a two-dimensional layer structureviaO—H...O and O—H...N hydrogen bonds and π–π interactions.

When thin metal plates are excited by a high-power ultrasonic transducer, superharmonic and high-order subharmonic vibration phenomena of the plates are observed in our experiments. However, the nonlinear mechanism in the system is still not fully understood. In this paper, a finite element model is established based on the experimental conditions and numerical simulations are performed to explore the generation mechanism of the nonlinear vibration. By comparing the waveforms and frequency spectra of the vibration velocity of the plate to these of the contact force between the ultrasonic horn tip and the plates, it can be found that waveform distortion of the contact force is the main reason for generating the superharmonic vibration, while the intermittent contact-impact between the horn tip and the plate is the reason for subharmonic vibration in the plate. The FEM simulation results can explain reasonably the observed experimental phenomena, which are useful to help to improve the effects of the nonlinear phenomena occurred in ultrasonic processing.

Summary The antibacterial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles prepared by sonication method was evaluated in this paper. Effect of calcination conditions on the size and antibacterial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles was investigated. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were characterised for purity (Thermo Gravimetric Analyzer), crystallinity and crystal size (XRD), particle size and morphology (TEM), etc. Results showed that the smallest size 8 nm could be obtained. The lethal experiments of nanocrystalline zinc oxide were evaluated on Lactobacillus plantarum. All L. Plantarum were killed after 24-h exposure at 1000 ppm. With the increase in calcination time, the lethal effect of ZnO nanoparticles was increased after 6-h exposure at 100 or 1000 ppm.

Measurements of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) were performed on a gabbro pluton and 7 diabase dykes in the Wanning area, southeast Hainan Island. Rock magnetism showed that pseudo-single domain (PSD) to multidomain (MD) Ti-poor magnetite carries the magnetic fabric in the gabbro pluton whereas MD Ti-poor magnetite carries the magnetic fabric in the diabase dykes. The corrected anisotropy degree (Pj) in most specimens was found to be less than 1.2 which is indicative of a possible flow-related magnetic fabric. The AMS eigenvectors within each site are generally well grouped. The maximum susceptibility axes (K1) of the gabbro pluton are inclined towards the north at low angles (< 30°). K1 axes of the diabase dykes are inclined towards the NNW and SSE with dip angles of ⩽ 30°. From this study, it appears that the emplacement mode of the gabbro pluton was characterized by intrusion from the north to the south at a low angle whereas the diabase dykes were emplaced from the NNW to the SSE at low to moderate angles. This was verified by comparison of the rock fabric to the magnetic fabric. All of this evidence leads to the conclusion that the Wanning gabbro pluton and diabase dykes were the products of pulsative intrusion from the same magma chamber in the area far to the north of Wanning, which suggests that basic rocks may exist beneath the Indosinian granite in the area to the north of Wanning.

Triaxial creep tests were carried out under seepage pressure by using rock servo-controlled triaxial rheology testing equipment. Based on experimental results, rock rheological properties influenced by seepage−stress coupling were studied, and variations of seepage rate with time in complete creep processes of rock were analyzed. It is shown that, when the applied stress is less than failure stress level, the creep deformation is not obvious, and its main form is steady-state creep. When applied stress level is greater than or less than but close to fracture stress, it is easier to see the increase of creep deformation and the more obvious accelerative creep characteristics. The circumferential creep deformation is obviously higher than the axial creep deformation. At the stage of steady-state creep, the average of seepage flow rate is about 4.7×10^(−9) m/s at confining pressure (σ3) of 2 MPa, and is about 3.9×10^(−9) m/s at σ3 of 6 MPa. It is seen that the seepage flow rate at σ3 of 2 MPa in this case is obviously larger than that at σ3 of 6 MPa. At the stage of creep acceleration, the seepage flow rate is markedly increased with the increase of time. The variation of rock permeability is directly connected to the growth and evolution of creep crack. It is suggested that the permeability coefficient in complete creep processes of rock is not a constant, but is a function of rock creep strain, confining pressure, damage variable and pore water pressure. The results can be considered to provide a reliable reference for the establishment of rock rheological model and parameter identification.

In the study, rubber accelerator Zinc diethyldithiocarbamate (EZ) was synthesized firstly. Complex EZ of single crystal was cultivated by solvent evaporation method. EZ was detected and characterized by XRD single crystal diffraction, FTIR and TG-DSC. The micro-structure and intrinsic regularity were revealed. Its highly efficient performance of rubber vulcanization promotion was decided due to its orientation structure? and high order. The result of TG-DSC showed that complex EZ was possessed with a little CS2. The chemical bond types in EZ were revealed by FTIR, the same as single crystal? diffraction testing by different way. The decomposition temperature of EZ was very high. It could provided reference with research on rubber vulcanizing properties by EZ on rubber vulcanizing machine. This study can help the enterprises to designate the working standard tracing detection of EZ industrialized production. Performance index of EZ was judged. The project of EZ industry standard can be declared by the enterprises, written a draft standard on the basis experimental data.

20CrMnTiH is widely used as gear steel because of its good hardenability. Based on the Taguchi technique, an L9 orthogonal array was arranged, and the three main process parameters were deformation temperature, strain rate and strain, and their levels were in the range of 850oC~1050oC, 0.1 s-1~10s-1 and 0.2~0.8 respectively. Nine hot compression tests were carried out on a GLEEBLE 1500 simulator, and the stress-strain curves and microstructures were investigated. The experimental results showed that deformation temperature was the most significant parameter of flow stress maximum followed by strain rate and strain, and the impact significant degree of on the grain size after compression was shown in the following: deformation temperature > strain > strain rate.

Building engineering in China is divided into civil building and industry building. Civil building engineering includes residential building and public building. There are many types of public building: shopping malls, office buildings, hotels and so on. In this thesis, architecture test and investigation are processed for the large public building such as hotel type, which focus on its characteristic features of energy consumption. Then energy conservation schemes are propounded and applied in real buildings.

In practical application, some flowmeters are not allowed to be calibrated off-line periodically, thus on-line calibration is necessary to be implemented in workplace [1]. As a non-invasive flowmeter, the clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeters are widely used in on-line calibration system. As a master flowmeter, ultrasonic flowmeters must be calibrated before or during using. Based on multiple fieldbus control system, an automatic calibration system for the ultrasonic flowmeter was designed. The comparison results between ultrasonic and electromagnetic flowmeter obtained during the process of calibrating manifest that the automatic calibration system is effective and reliable. Because of the good interoperability of the multiple fieldbus, other flowmeters with different protocols can be connected into this system easily. With the high speed development of fieldbus technology, this has great practical significance in flowmeter calibration.

Wound healing can lead to hypertrophic scar or keloid formation, characterized by an overabundant extracellular matrix. Current established treatment strategies include surgical resection, triamcinolone steroid injection, pressure therapy, silicone therapy, radiotherapy, etc. Cytokines also play a critical role in the regulation of cellular activities and extracellular matrix metabolism. Interferons (IFN) represent a group of antifibroproliferative agents that inhibit fibroblast proliferation and collagen production, and interleukin (IL)-1β also accelerates hypertrophic scar fibroblasts to produce collagenolytic enzymes, leading to tissue destruction. This study addressed the effects of steroid, IFN α-2b, or IL-1β on apoptosis and cell pathway of fibroblasts from keloids, hypertrophic scars, and normal skins and different responses of different fibroblasts. Six samples of keloid, six samples of hypertrophic scar, and six samples of normal skin were, respectively, collected from patients, and fibroblasts from different sources were cultured in vitro. After different fibroblasts were treated with dexamethasone (0.1 mg/ml) or IFN α-2b (1,000 μ/ml) or IL-1β (200 μ/ml), Bax and Bcl-2 were detected in situ by immunohistochemical staining; deoxyribonucleic acid ladders of different fibroblasts were observed by gel electrophoresis, and relative activated (phospho-) extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways were detected by the method of fast activated cell-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In media containing dexamethasone, apoptosis took place in fibroblasts from keloids, hypertrophic scars, and normal skins by gel electrophoresis with increased rate of Bax/Bcl-2. Activated (phospho-) ERK1/2 and activated (phospho-) JNK expressions increased in three different fibroblasts. In media containing IFN α-2b, no apoptosis took place in three different fibroblasts without any change of expressions of Bax and Bcl-2 except for the expression of decreased Bcl-2 in fibroblasts from keloids. Activated (phospho-) ERK1/2 expression decreased in fibroblasts from keloid and hypertrophic scars without any changes of activated (phospho-) JNK expression, and IFN α-2b did not affect both activated (phospho-) ERK1/2 and activated (phospho-) JNK expressions in fibroblasts from normal skin. In media containing IL-1β, apoptosis of fibroblasts from keloids was induced by stimulating activated (phospho-) ERK1/2 and activated (phospho-) JNK pathways; IL-1β could not induce apoptosis of fibroblasts from normal skin (radio of Bax/Bcl-2 decreasing) whose activated (phospho-) ERK1/2 pathway was stimulated without any changes of activated (phospho-) JNK expression. Apoptosis in fibroblasts from hypertrophic scars was induced by activating the JNK pathway and prohibiting the ERK1/2 pathway. The effects of steroid, IFN α-2b, or IL-1β on apoptosis of different fibroblasts were different through different cell signal pathways, although all of them were effective for treatment of abnormal scars.

The loudspeaker cone vibration in the transitional frequency range in which the governing equations have transition or turning points is studied by applying the uniformly valid solutions obtained in a previous paper. The solutions are presented analytically as well as the resonant and anti-resonant frequency equations, the associated patterns and the axial admittance. A new frequency equation for the non-bending effect is obtained. The results agree well with numerical results.

Background The objective of this paper was to study antimicrobial activity and safety of Enterococcus faecium KQ 2.6 (E. faecium KQ 2.6) isolated from peacock feces. Methods Agar well diffusion method was adopted in antimicrobial activity assay. Disk diffusion test was used to determine the antibiotic resistance. The identification and virulence potential of E. faecium KQ 2.6 were investigated using PCR amplification. Results The results indicated that cell free supernatant (CFS) of the strain had the good antimicrobial activity against selected gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The biochemical characteristics of antimicrobial substances were investigated. The results indicated that the antimicrobial substances were still active after treatment with catalase and proteinase, respectively. Moreover, the stability of antimicrobial substances did not change after heat treatment at 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80°C for 30 min, respectively. The activity of antimicrobial substances remained stable at 4 and −20°C after long time storage. The antimicrobial activity of CFS was compared with that of the buffer with similar strength and pH. The inhibitory zone of the buffer was apparently smaller than that of CFS, which meant that the acid in CFS was not the only factor that was contributed to antibacterial activity of CFS. The antibiotic resistance and virulence potential were evaluated using disk diffusion test and PCR amplification. The results showed that E. faecium KQ 2.6 did not harbor any tested virulence genes such as gelE, esp, asa1, cylA, efaA and hyl. It was susceptible to most of tested antibiotics except for vancomycin and polymyxin B. Conclusion E. faecium KQ 2.6 may be used as bio-preservative cultures for the production of fermented foods.

The warm-hot deformation behavior of 20CrMnTi steel was studied with hot compression tests at temperature range of 1123∼1273 K and strain rate of 0.1∼20 s−1. The activation energy for warm-hot deformation is 426.064 KJ/mol. The influences of Zener-Hollomon parameter, strain and grain size imposing on the flow stress were analyzed in the temperature range of warm-hot forging. Creep theory and methematical theory of statistics were used to obtain mathematical models of flow stress. The research and results provide scientific basis for controlling microstructure of forging process through Zener-Hollomon parameter.

A series of hyperbranched poly(amine-ester)s based on 1,1,1-trimethylolpropane, methyl acrylate and diethanolamine were synthesized and coated on the inner surface of the fused-silica capillaries by physical adsorption. The most effective coating was the seventh generation hyperbranched poly(amine-ester) coating, which reduced the electroosmotic flow (EOF) greatly and suppressed protein adsorption effectively. The high separation efficiencies for basic proteins were obtained and the coating had a good stability.

To date, expansion of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is typically carried out on two-dimensional (2D) tissue culture plastic. Since this 2D substratum is very different from the physiological situation, MSCs gradually lose their unique multipotent properties during expansion. Recently, the role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) microenvironment (“niche”) in facilitating and regulating stem cell behavior in vivo has been elucidated. As a result, investigators have shifted their efforts toward developing three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds capable of functioning like the native tissue ECM. In this study, we demonstrated that stromal-cell-derived ECM, formed within a collagen/hydroxyapatite (Col/HA) scaffold to mimic the bone marrow “niche,” promoted MSC proliferation and preserved their differentiation capacity. The ECM was synthesized by MSCs to reconstitute the tissue-specific 3D microenvironment in vitro. Following deposition of the ECM inside Col/HA scaffold, the construct was decellularized and reseeded with MSCs to study their behavior. The data showed that MSCs cultured on the ECM-Col/HA scaffolds grew significantly faster than the cells from the same batch cultured on the regular Col/HA scaffolds. In addition, MSCs cultured on the ECM-Col/HA scaffolds retained their “stemness” and osteogenic differentiation capacity better than MSCs cultured on regular Col/HA scaffolds. When ECM-Col/HA scaffolds were implanted into immunocompromised mice, with or without loading MSCs, it was found that those scaffolds formed less bone as compared with regular Col/HA scaffolds (i.e., without ECM), in both cases of with or without loading MSCs. The in vivo study further confirmed that the ECM-Col/HA scaffold was a suitable mimic of the bone marrow “niche.” This novel 3D stromal-cell-derived ECM system has the potential to be developed into a biomedical platform for regenerative medicine applications.

A new friction testing method based on combined forward conical can-backward straight can extrusion is proposed in order to evaluate friction characteristics in severe metal forming operations. By this method the friction coefficient along the conical punch surface is determined knowing the friction coefficient along the die wall. The latter is determined by a combined forward and backward can extrusion of straight cans. Calibration curves determining the relationship between punch travel, can heights, and friction coefficient for the two tests are calculated based on a rigid-plastic FEM analysis. Experimental friction tests are carried out in a mechanical press with aluminium alloy A6061 as the workpiece material and different kinds of lubricants. They confirm that the theoretical analysis results in reasonable values for the friction coefficient.

In this paper, the frequency equation of thin shell vibration in the transition range is deduced, the frequency equation of bending vibration is given, and finally the results are verified with numerical calculation.

A new friction testing method by combined forward rod-backward can extrusion is proposed in order to evaluate frictional characteristics of lubricants in forging processes. By this method the friction coefficient μ and the friction factor m can be estimated along the container wall and the conical die surface in the forward rod extrusion using theoretical calibration diagrams representing the relationship between the punch travel, the forward rod extrusion length and form without requirements of measuring the forming forces and the flow stress of the workpiece. The theoretical calibration curves are obtained by rigid-plastic FEM simulations in a combined forward rod-backward can extrusion process for a reduction in area Rb, = 25, 50 and 70 percent in the backward can extrusion. It is confirmed that the friction factor mp on the punch nose in the backward can extrusion has almost no influence on the calibration curves. The optimum initial height/diameter ratio of the workpiece is 1.0–1.1. The influence of the workhardening index on the calibration curves is insignificant in the range 0.1 ≤ n ≤ 0.5. Experimental friction tests are carried out in a mechanical press with aluminium alloy A6061 as the workpiece material and different kinds of lubricants. They confirm the analysis resulting in reasonable values for the friction coefficient and the friction factor.