Studying Russian and Soviet History.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ascher, Abraham, Ed.

These essays were written to assist teachers in the task of making Russian history intelligible to young U.S. students. In "An Approach to Russian History," Edward Keenan proposes that students need to gain a better understanding of how Russians perceive themselves and their history. In "Pre-Petrine Russia," Andrzej S. Kaminski…

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Stellar populations in the Magellanic bridge (Skowron+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skowron, D. M.; Jacyszyn, A. M.; Udalski, A.; Szymanski, M. K.; Skowron, J.; Poleski, R.; Kozlowski, S.; Kubiak, M.; Pietrzynski, G.; Soszynski, I.; Mroz, P.; Pietrukowicz, P.; Ulaczyk, K.; Wyrzykowski, L.

2017-05-01

The current, fourth phase of the OGLE survey (OGLE-IV) started in 2010 March with the commissioning of a large new-generation 256 Megapixel 32 chip mosaic camera. The Galactic bulge and disk, the Magellanic Clouds, and the Magellanic Bridge, including vast areas around them, are the primary observing targets for the OGLE-IV survey. Regular monitoring of the selected sky regions by the OGLE survey is carried out with the 1.3 m Warsaw telescope located at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile (operated by the Carnegie Institution for Science). The field of view of the camera is 1.4 deg2 with a pixel size of ~0.26''. The magnitude range of the standard OGLE survey is approximately 12-21 mag in the I band and 12.5-21.5 mag in the V band. (1 data file).

[Brief investigation on the issue of Zhen Dan(Cinnabar, HgS) irrelevant to Qian Dan (Minium, Pb(3)O(4))].

PubMed

Shen, S N

2017-07-28

Zhen Dan, the abbreviated form of Zhen Dan Sha, or called Zhu Sha (Cinnabar, HgS). It can be ruled out that Zhen Dan is the nickname of Qian Dan (Minium, Pb(3)O(4)) through the homologous formulas contrast. The prescriptions containing Zhen Dan in the Zheng lei ben cao ( Classified Materia Medica ) was put under the "attached prescriptions" of Qian Dan, while Zhong yao da ci dian ( Great Dictionary of Chinese Materia Medica )and Zhong hua ben cao ( Chinese Herbology )all definitelyconfirmed that Zhen Dan is the other name of Qian Dan, which are wrong and should be corrected.

The 2014 China meeting of the International Society for Vascular Surgery.

PubMed

Dardik, Alan; Ouriel, Kenneth; Wang, JinSong; Liapis, Christos

2014-10-01

The 2014 meeting of the International Society for Vascular Surgery (ISVS) was held in Guangzhou, China, in conjunction with the fifth annual Wang Zhong-Gao's Vascular Forum, the eighth annual China Southern Endovascular Congress, and the third annual Straits Vascular Forum. Keynote addresses were given by Professors Christos Liapis, Wang Zhong-Gao, and Wang Shen-Ming. President Liapis presented the first ISVS Lifetime Achievement Award to Professor Wang Zhong-Gao for his multi-decade accomplishments establishing Vascular Surgery as a specialty in China. Faculty presentations were made in plenary sessions that focused on diseases relevant to the patterns of vascular disease prevalent in China. Thirty-one abstracts were presented by vascular surgeons from around the globe, and the top 10 presentations were recognized. Thirteen countries were represented in the meeting. The 2014 ISVS meeting was a success. Partnership of this meeting with host Chinese Vascular Surgery societies was of mutual benefit, bringing vascular surgeons of international reputation to the local area for academic and intellectual exchange and formation of collaborations; integration of the meetings allows easier logistics to facilitate meeting organization and optimization of time for both faculty and attendees. This integrated model may serve as an optimal model for future meetings. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Genome-Wide Linkage Mapping of QTL for Adult-Plant Resistance to Stripe Rust in a Chinese Wheat Population Linmai 2 × Zhong 892

PubMed Central

Liu, Jindong; He, Zhonghu; Wu, Ling; Bai, Bin; Wen, Weie; Xie, Chaojie; Xia, Xianchun

2015-01-01

Stripe rust is one of the most devastating diseases of wheat (Triticum aestivum) worldwide. Adult-plant resistance (APR) is an efficient approach to provide long-term protection of wheat from the disease. The Chinese winter wheat cultivar Zhong 892 has a moderate level of APR to stripe rust in the field. To determine the inheritance of the APR resistance in this cultivar, 273 F6 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) were developed from a cross between Linmai 2 and Zhong 892. The RILs were evaluated for maximum disease severity (MDS) in two sites during the 2011–2012, 2012–2013 and 2013–2014 cropping seasons, providing data for five environments. Illumina 90k SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) chips were used to genotype the RILs and their parents. Composite interval mapping (CIM) detected eight QTL, namely QYr.caas-2AL, QYr.caas-2BL.3, QYr.caas-3AS, QYr.caas-3BS, QYr.caas-5DL, QYr.caas-6AL, QYr.caas-7AL and QYr.caas-7DS.1, respectively. All except QYr.caas-2BL.3 resistance alleles were contributed by Zhong 892. QYr.caas-3AS and QYr.caas-3BS conferred stable resistance to stripe rust in all environments, explaining 6.2–17.4% and 5.0–11.5% of the phenotypic variances, respectively. The genome scan of SNP sequences tightly linked to QTL for APR against annotated proteins in wheat and related cereals genomes identified two candidate genes (autophagy-related gene and disease resistance gene RGA1), significantly associated with stripe rust resistance. These QTL and their closely linked SNP markers, in combination with kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) technology, are potentially useful for improving stripe rust resistances in wheat breeding. PMID:26714310

Possible Meteorites in the Martian Hills (False Color)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

From its winter outpost at 'Low Ridge' inside Gusev Crater, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this spectacular, color mosaic of hilly, sandy terrain and two potential iron meteorites. The two light-colored, smooth rocks about two-thirds of the way up from the bottom of the frame have been labeled 'Zhong Shan' and 'Allan Hills.'

The two rocks' informal names are in keeping with the rover science team's campaign to nickname rocks and soils in the area after locations in Antarctica. Zhong Shang is an Antarctic base that the People's Republic of China opened on Feb. 26, 1989, at the Larsemann Hills in Prydz Bay in East Antarctica. Allan Hills is a location where researchers have found many Martian meteorites, including the controversial ALH84001, which achieved fame in 1996 when NASA scientists suggested that it might contain evidence for fossilized extraterrestrial life. Zhong Shan was the given name of Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), known as the 'Father of Modern China.' Born to a peasant family in Guangdong, Sun moved to live with his brother in Honolulu at age 13 and later became a medical doctor. He led a series of uprisings against the Qing dynasty that began in 1894 and eventually succeeded in 1911. Sun served as the first provisional president when the Republic of China was founded in 1912.

The Zhong Shan and Allan Hills rocks, at the left and right, respectively, have unusual morphologies and miniature thermal emission spectrometer signatures that resemble those of a rock known as 'Heat Shield' at the Meridiani site explored by Spirit's twin, Opportunity. Opportunity's analyses revealed Heat Shield to be an iron meteorite.

Spirit acquired this false-color image on the rover's 872nd Martian day, or sol (June 16, 2006), using exposures taken through three of the panoramic camera's filters, centered on wavelengths of 750 nanometers, 530 nanometers, and 430 nanometers. The image is presented in false color to emphasize differences among materials in the rocks and soil.

Possible Meteorites in the Martian Hills

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

From its winter outpost at 'Low Ridge' inside Gusev Crater, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this spectacular, color mosaic of hilly, sandy terrain and two potential iron meteorites. The two light-colored, smooth rocks about two-thirds of the way up from the bottom of the frame have been labeled 'Zhong Shan' and 'Allan Hills.'

The two rocks' informal names are in keeping with the rover science team's campaign to nickname rocks and soils in the area after locations in Antarctica. Zhong Shang is an Antarctic base that the People's Republic of China opened on Feb. 26, 1989, at the Larsemann Hills in Prydz Bay in East Antarctica. Allan Hills is a location where researchers have found many Martian meteorites, including the controversial ALH84001, which achieved fame in 1996 when NASA scientists suggested that it might contain evidence for fossilized extraterrestrial life. Zhong Shan was the given name of Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), known as the 'Father of Modern China.' Born to a peasant family in Guangdong, Sun moved to live with his brother in Honolulu at age 13 and later became a medical doctor. He led a series of uprisings against the Qing dynasty that began in 1894 and eventually succeeded in 1911. Sun served as the first provisional president when the Republic of China was founded in 1912.

The Zhong Shan and Allan Hills rocks, at the left and right, respectively, have unusual morphologies and miniature thermal emission spectrometer signatures that resemble those of a rock known as 'Heat Shield' at the Meridiani site explored by Spirit's twin, Opportunity. Opportunity's analyses revealed Heat Shield to be an iron meteorite.

Spirit acquired this approximately true-color image on the rover's 872nd Martian day, or sol (June 16, 2006), using exposures taken through three of the panoramic camera's filters, centered on wavelengths of 600 nanometers, 530 nanometers, and 480 nanometers.

A Cellular Automata Approach to Computer Vision and Image Processing.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-09-01

the ACM, vol. 15, no. 9, pp. 827-837. [ Duda and Hart] R. 0. Duda and P. E. Hart, Pattern Classification and Scene Analysis, Wiley, New York, 1973...Center TR-738, 1979. [Farley] Arthur M. Farley and Andrzej Proskurowski, "Gossiping in Grid Graphs", University of Oregon Computer Science Department CS-TR

Translations on Eastern Europe, Political, sociological, and Military Affairs. Number 1314.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-11-02

8217 as Determinant of Democracy, Patriotism (Andrzej Burda; IDEOLOGIA I POLITYKA, Sep 76) 32 Cardinal Wyszyniski’s Trip to Rome Noted (SLOWO...CSO: 2600 31 POLAND ’STATE CONSCIOUSNESS’ AS DETERMINANT OF DEMOCRACY, PATRIOTISM Warsaw IDEOLOGIA I POLITYKA in Polish No 9, Sep 76 pp 7-15

[The essence of Professor Wu Lian-Zhong's acupuncture manipulation].

PubMed

Liu, Jing; Guo, Yi; Wu, Lian-Zhong

2014-05-01

The painless needle insertion technique, summarized by Professor WU Lian-zhong during his decades of acupuncture clinical practice is introduced in this article, which is characterized as soft, flexible, fast, plucking and activating antipathogenic qi. The Sancai (three layers) lifting and thrusting manipulation technique is adopted by Professor WU for getting the qi sensation. And features of 10 kinds of needling sensation such as soreness, numbness, heaviness, distension, pain, cold, hot, radiation, jumping and contracture are summarized. Finger force, amplitude, speed and time length are also taken as the basis of reinforcing and reducing manipulations. Moreover, examples are also given to explain the needling technique on some specific points which further embodies Professor WU's unique experiences and understandings on acupuncture.

Parkinson's disease in China.

PubMed

Tian, You-yong; Tang, Cui-ju; Wu, Jie; Zhou, Jun-shan

2011-02-01

Paralysis agitans was first documented in 1817 by James Parkinson, and therefore the syndrome was named Parkinson's disease (PD). In fact, as early as more than 2000 years ago, the clinical manifestations of this disease have been described in Chinese medicine classics, such as the "Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic)" and "Zhong Zang Jing (Hua's Zhong Zang Classic)." In recent years, especially in the past 30 years after reform and opening-up, PD has drawn a lot of attention by Chinese scholars. Although great progress in the studies of PD has been made in recent years, the gap between China and western countries still exists. In this review, we concentrate on the main progress made in epidemic characteristics, etiology, diagnosis and management of PD in China.

SDF-1, DC1/DC2, and Tumor Angiogenesis

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-04-01

system in pancreatic cancer: a possible role for tumor progression. Clin Cancer Res 2000;6:3530-5. 10. Rempel SA, Dudas S, Ge S, et al. Identification and...Cancers Ilona Kryczek,𔃼 Andrzej Lange,2 Peter Mottram,’ Xavier Alvarez,’ Pui Cheng,’ Melina Hogan,’ Lieve Moons,3 Shuang Wei,’ Linhua Zou,’ Veronique

SDF-1, DC1/DC2, and Tumor Angiogenesis

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-04-01

1,2 Andrzej Lange, 2 Peter Mottram, 1 Xavier Alvarez, 1 Pui Cheng, 1 Melina Hogan, 1 Lieve Moons, 3 Shuang Wei, 1 Linhua Zou, 1 Véronique Machelon, 4...in pancreatic cancer: a possible role for tumor progression. Clin Cancer Res 2000;6: 3530–5. 51. Rempel SA, Dudas S, Ge S, Gutierrez JA. Identifica

Du-Zhong (Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.) Cortex Extract Alleviates Lead Acetate-Induced Bone Loss in Rats.

PubMed

Qi, Shanshan; Zheng, Hongxing; Chen, Chen; Jiang, Hai

2018-05-09

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of Du-Zhong cortex extract (DZCE) on lead acetate-induced bone loss in rats. Forty female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: group I (control) was provided with distilled water. Group II (PbAc) received 500 ppm lead acetate in drinking water for 60 days. Group III (PbAc+DZCE) received 500 ppm lead acetate in drinking water, and given intragastric DZCE (100 mg/kg body weight) for 60 days. Group IV (DZCE) was given intragastric DZCE (100 mg/kg body weight) for 60 days. The bone mineral density, serum biochemical markers, bone histomorphology, and bone marrow adipocyte parameters were analyzed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, biochemistry, histomorphometry, and histopathology, respectively. The results showed that the lumbar spine and femur bone mineral density was significantly decreased in PbAc group compared with the control (P < 0.05); however, this decrease was inhibited by the intake of Du-Zhong cortex extract (P < 0.05, vs. PbAc group; P > 0.05, vs. control and DZCE group). Serum calcium and serum phosphorus in the PbAc+DZCE group were greater than that in the PbAc group (P < 0.05). The PbAc group had higher ALP, osteocalcin, and RANKL than the control group (P < 0.01), and they were significantly lower in the PbAc+DZCE group compared with the PbAc group. There were no significant differences of ALP, osteocalcin, and RANKL among the PbAc+DZCE, control, and DZCE groups (P > 0.05). Serum OPG and OPG/RANKL ration were significantly higher in the PbAc+DZCE group than that in the PbAc group (P < 0.05). The bone histomorphometric analyses showed that bone volume and trabecular thickness in the femoral trabecular bone were significantly lower in the PbAc group than that in the control group, but those were restored in the PbAc+DZCE groups. The bone marrow adipocyte number, percent adipocyte volume per tissue volume (AV/TV), and mean adipocyte diameter were significantly increased in the PbAc group compared to the control (P < 0.01), and those were restored in the PbAc+DZCE group. The differences of those parameters between PbAc+DZCE, DZCE, and the control group were not significant. The results above indicate that the Du-Zhong cortex extract has protective effects on both stimulation of bone formation and suppression of bone resorption in lead-exposed rats, therefore, Du-Zhong cortex extract has the potential to prevent or treat osteoporosis resulting from lead expose.

Document-Based and Message-Centric Security Using XML Authentication and Encryption for Coalition and Interagency Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

Peruvian Navy Peru X X X X VADM Andrzej Karweta Commander-in-Chief, Polish Navy Poland X X ADM Fernando Jose Ribeiro de Melo Gomes...Chief of Naval Staff, Portuguese Navy Portugal X X X X X VADM J. Mudimu Chief, South African Navy South Africa X X X X X ADM Manuel Rebollo

Directory of Polish Officials: A Reference Aid

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-01

Jan 84 Brewczynska, Anna; PZPR Oct 86 Jamroz , Julian Dec 80 Baranowski, Zbigniew Feb 87 Chocimski, Henryk; SD Sep 87 Smolinski, Adam; ZSL...Commission Chairman Jamroz , Jan; PZPR Provincial People’s Council Chairman Szczepanski, Andrzej; PZPR Deputy Chairman Piechocki, Marian; PZPR...Krzysztof 27 Jakubowicz, Jozef 77 Jakubowski, Janusz 65 Jalowiczor, Jozef 113 Jaltuszewski, Krzysztof 47 Jamiolowski, Jan 68 Jamroz , Jan 76

Supercontinent Formation in 3-D Spherical Mantle Convection Models With Multiple Continental Blocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, N.; Zhong, S.; McNamara, A.

2007-12-01

Much of the large-scale tectonics on the Earth in the last Ga is predominated by the assembly and breakup of supercontinents Rodinia and Pangea. However, the mechanism that is responsible for supercontinent formation remains poorly understood. Zhong et al [2007] recently showed that mantle convection with moderately strong lithosphere and lower mantle is characterized by a largely degree-1 planform in which one hemisphere is predominated by upwellings while the other by downwellings. They further suggested that the downwellings should attract all the continental blocks to merge in the downwelling hemisphere, thus leading to supercontinent formation there. However, Zhong et al. [2007] did not consider drifting and collision processes of continents. In this study, we explore the supercontinent formation mechanisms by including drifting and collision processes of multiple continental blocks in 3-D spherical mantle convection models. We use thermochemical CitcomS code to model 3-D spherical mantle convection with continental blocks. In our models, particles are used to represent continents and to track their motions. We found that for models with mantle viscosity (i.e., moderately strong lithosphere and lower mantle) that leads to degree-1 convection as reported in Zhong et al. [2007], initially evenly- distributed continental blocks always merge to form a supercontinent on a time-scale of about 6 transit times (i.e., corresponding to about 300 Ma). The hemisphere where a supercontinent is formed is predominated by downwellings as continents merge towards there, while the other hemisphere by upwellings. However, after the supercontinent formation, upwellings are generated beneath the supercontinent. This scenario is qualitatively consistent with what Zhong et al. [2007] proposed. We also found that while some convection models with intrinsically small-scale planforms may also lead to formation of a supercontinent, some other models may fail to produce a supercontinent. For these models with intrinsically small-scale planforms, the merged continental blocks promote long-wavelength mantle structure near the continents. However, in non-continental regions, convective wavelengths remain relatively small. We suggest that time-scales for supercontinent formation and convective wavelengths in non-continental area are important parameters that help constrain mechanisms for supercontinent formation.

Can PC-9 Zhong chong replace K-1 Yong quan for the acupunctural resuscitation of a bilateral double-amputee? Stating the “random criterion problem” in its statistical analysis

PubMed Central

Inchauspe, Adrián Angel

2016-01-01

AIM: To present an inclusion criterion for patients who have suffered bilateral amputation in order to be treated with the supplementary resuscitation treatment which is hereby proposed by the author. METHODS: This work is based on a Retrospective Cohort model so that a certainly lethal risk to the control group is avoided. RESULTS: This paper presents a hypothesis on acupunctural PC-9 Zhong chong point, further supported by previous statistical work recorded for the K-1 Yong quan resuscitation point. CONCLUSION: Thanks to the application of the resuscitation maneuver herein proposed on the previously mentioned point, patients with bilateral amputation would have another alternative treatment available in case basic and advanced CPR should fail. PMID:27152257

A Non-Cognitive Formal Approach to Knowledge Representation in Artificial Intelligence.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-06-01

example, Duda and others translated production rules into a partitioned semantic network (73). Representations were also translated into production...153. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1982. 38. Blikle, Andrzej . "Equational Languages," Information and Control, 21: 134-147 (September 1972). 285 39. Ezawa...Conference on Artificial Intelligence, IJCAI-75. 115-121. William Kaufmann, Inc., Los Altos CA, 1975. 73. Duda , Richard 0. and others. "Semantic

Opportunistic Constructive Induction: Using Fragments of Domain Knowledge to Guide Construction

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

contribute to its success in ways which they are often unaware of and, unfortunately, which go by unacknowledged. At the risk of omitting some people I am...ference on Machine Learning, pages 322 -329, Austin, TX, June 1990. [Blumer e_1 al... 19871 Anselm Blurner, Andrzej Ehrenfeucht, David Haussler, and...and Ryszard S. Michalki. A Comparative Review of Selected Methods fur Learning from Examples. In- Machine Learning: An A rtificialIntelligence

Translations on Eastern Europe Political, Sociological, and Military Affairs, Number 1469

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-11-08

Codes (TRYBUNA LUDU, 17-18 Sep 77) 79 Technology Transfer Discussed (Andrzej Lopalewski; TRYBUNA LUDU, 6 Sep 77) 82 - b - CONTENTS (Continued...highly developed science and technology and a strong national defense, a state in which the standard of living of the GDR people is increasingly...for making joint use of the available technical or technological basis. Thus it is becoming more and more the custom for research sectors of the

TWO STARS TWO WAYS: CONFIRMING A MICROLENSING BINARY LENS SOLUTION WITH A SPECTROSCOPIC MEASUREMENT OF THE ORBIT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yee, Jennifer C.; Johnson, John Asher; Eastman, Jason

Light curves of microlensing events involving stellar binaries and planetary systems can provide information about the orbital elements of the system due to orbital modulations of the caustic structure. Accurately measuring the orbit in either the stellar or planetary case requires detailed modeling of subtle deviations in the light curve. At the same time, the natural, Cartesian parameterization of a microlensing binary is partially degenerate with the microlens parallax. Hence, it is desirable to perform independent tests of the predictions of microlens orbit models using radial velocity (RV) time series of the lens binary system. To this end, we presentmore » 3.5 years of RV monitoring of the binary lens system OGLE-2009-BLG-020 L, for which Skowron et al. constrained all internal parameters of the 200–700 day orbit. Our RV measurements reveal an orbit that is consistent with the predictions of the microlens light curve analysis, thereby providing the first confirmation of orbital elements inferred from microlensing events.« less

Sequestering Lead in Paint by Utilizing Deconstructed Masonry Materials as Recycled Aggregate in Concrete. Revision 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-27

into a new insoluble lead-phosphate mineral for on-site or off-site paint stripping; and 4. Encapsulation, where a liquid coating is applied over the...convert the LBP-contaminated masonry materials from hazardous wastes into new , environmentally friendly construction materials at minimum cost. 4...used to produce high strength concrete (Andrzej and Alina, 2002). The major concerns for use of recycled aggregates in new construction are now more

Genoprotective effect of the Chinese herbal decoction xiao jian zhong tang.

PubMed

Szeto, Yim-Tong; Cheng, Ngok-Fung; Pak, Sok-Cheon; Kalle, Wouter

2013-03-01

The Chinese herbal decoction formula Xiao Jian Zhong Tang (XJZT) is one of the classic formulas from the classic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Previous studies on XJZT found that it is effective for treating peptic ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome, functional gastroenteritis and similar psychosomatic disorders of the digestive organs. It has also been shown that all the herbs used in XJZT contain antioxidants. In this study, we investigated the in vitro DNA protection effect of the individual herb extracts and the whole formula. Water extract of the herbs and XJZT were used to pre-treat human lymphocytes. The lymphocytes were then exposed to hydrogen peroxide. The in vitro DNA protection effect of the herbs was investigated by comet assay. No DNA protective effect (P < 0.05) was found for individual herb extracts, but XJZT showed protection of human lymphocytic DNA upon oxidative stress (P < 0.05). The in vitro DNA protection effect of XJZT was conferred by the synergistic effect of the herbs, while the individual herbs had no such effect.

Experiments on terahertz 3D scanning microscopic imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yi; Li, Qi

2016-10-01

Compared with the visible light and infrared, terahertz (THz) radiation can penetrate nonpolar and nonmetallic materials. There are many studies on the THz coaxial transmission confocal microscopy currently. But few researches on the THz dual-axis reflective confocal microscopy were reported. In this paper, we utilized a dual-axis reflective confocal scanning microscope working at 2.52 THz. In contrast with the THz coaxial transmission confocal microscope, the microscope adopted in this paper can attain higher axial resolution at the expense of reduced lateral resolution, revealing more satisfying 3D imaging capability. Objects such as Chinese characters "Zhong-Hua" written in paper with a pencil and a combined sheet metal which has three layers were scanned. The experimental results indicate that the system can extract two Chinese characters "Zhong," "Hua" or three layers of the combined sheet metal. It can be predicted that the microscope can be applied to biology, medicine and other fields in the future due to its favorable 3D imaging capability.

Andrzej Trautman, Ivor Robinson, and the foundations of gravitational radiation theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salisbury, Donald

It is especially pertinent following the momentous detection of gravitational waves by LIGO and the death of Ivor Robinson in 2016 that we investigate the central role played by the Polish physicist Andrzej Trautman and his dear collaborator Robinson in helping to establish the foundations of gravitational wave research. Trautman was a student of Leopold Infeld who had famously rejected the reality of gravitational waves. Yet Trautman's intuition, informed in part by his training as a radio engineer, led him to be the first to correctly pose asymptotic boundary conditions that described the mass loss of an isolated system through emitted gravitational radiation. His series of papers announcing these results were published in a then obscure Polish journal. Fortunately, though, Felix Pirani visited Warsaw in 1957 and he was so impressed with Trautman that he arranged for him to visit his group at King's College in London. Trautman's lectures in London won him wide admiration, and significantly affected the subsequent work on gravitational wave solutions of Einstein's equations in the group led by Hermann Bondi. This was also the occasion in which Trautman and Robinson discovered a deep and abiding mathematical affinity, resulting in the discovery of exact solutions of Einstein's equations that could be interpreted as representing gravitational radiation. This talk is based in part on an interview with Trautman conducted in Warsaw in June, 2016.

Uranium in mining water of kaolin open pit in Zarów (Lower Silesia); methodology of determination and genetic remarks.

PubMed

Chau, N D; Wyszomirski, P; Chruściel, E; Ochoński, A

1999-11-01

In this paper, a method of determination of uranium 238 and 234 in mining waters of Andrzej kaolin open pit in Zarów (Lower Silesia) is presented. The method is based on independent measurements of alpha and beta radiation intensities by means of a liquid scintillation spectrometer alpha/beta. The initial volume of water sample was 3 dm3, then it was diminished by chemical preparation to 6 cm3, and then 12 cm3 of scintillator was added. The lower limit of detection (for the measurement time of 8 h) for both 234U and 238U amounted to 0.02 Bq/dm3. For determination of the uranium content in ferruginous sediments precipitating from mining waters of the above-mentioned open pit, gamma ray spectrometry was used. The obtained results may be viewed as a contribution to studies on anomalous uranium concentration within this kaolin deposit. The elevated uranium content, in comparison with its average concentration in the Earth crust, is characteristic for parent rocks of Andrzej kaolin deposit, which are granitoids of Strzegom-Sobótka massif. In connection with it, the high uranium content can be observed not only in kaolin and weakly kaolinised granitoids from the deposit in question, but also in mining waters genetically related with them.

Erratum: Correction to: A Graphene Oxide-Based Fluorescent Aptasensor for the Turn-on Detection of CCRF-CEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Jie; Lai, Zongqiang; Zhong, Liping; Zhang, Zhenghua; Zheng, Rong; Su, Jing; Huang, Yong; Huang, Panpan; Song, Hui; Yang, Nuo; Zhou, Sufang; Zhao, Yongxiang

2018-04-01

In the original publication of this article [1] the author Liping Zhong was omitted. In this correction article the author and the corresponding details are provided. The publisher apologizes to the readers and authors for the inconvenience.

Coherent Risk-Adjusted Decisions Over Time: a Bilevel Programming Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-23

AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2015-0310 Coherent Risk-Adjusted Decisions Over Time: a Bilevel Programming Approach Jonathan Eckstein RUTGERS THE STATE UNIVERSITY...FA9550-11-1-0164 5b. GRANT NUMBER FA9550-11-1-0164 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Eckstein, Jonathan Ruszczynski, Andrzej 5d. PROJECT... Jonathan Eckstein a. REPORT U b. ABSTRACT U c. THIS PAGE U 19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (Include area code) 848-445-0510 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8/98

Learning To Recognize Visual Concepts: Development and Implementation of a Method for Texture Concept Acquisition Through Inductive Learning

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

Maria and My Parents, Helena and Andrzej IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to first of all thank my advisor. Dr. Ryszard Michalski. who introduced...represent the current state of the art in machine learning methodology. The most popular method. the minimization of Bayes risk [ Duda and Hart. 1973]. is a...34 Pattern Recognition, Vol. 23, no. 3-4, pp. 291-309, 1990. Duda , O. and P. Hart, Pattern Classification and Scene Analysis, John Wiley & Sons. 1973

Natural Gastric Infection with Helicobacter pylori in Monkeys: A Model for Spiral Bacteria Infection in Humans

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-01-01

ANDRZEJ TARNAWSKI,11 WILLIAM N. FISHBEIN,1 GUILLERMO I. PEREZ-PEREZV and MARTIN J . BLASER# *Laboratory of Gastrointestinal and Uver Studies...from 38. Fox JG, Blanco MC, Yan L, Shames B, Polidoro D, Dewhirst FE, cheetahs with gastritis. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1993;43:99-106. Paster BJ. Role of...For NTIS CRA& J 13. ABSTRACT (Maximuom 200 wardaW Unnnuce C ~Justification_ - DrfG Aj 0-11994 DistributionI 0 Availability CodesGit Avail and/orDist

78 FR 38924 - Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews and Request for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-28

... Pipeline Factory of CNPC Sichuan Petroleum Goods & Material Supply Corp. Chu Kong Steel Pipe Group Co... ZhongZheng Steel Pipe Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Shanghai Baochen Oil Pipeline Materials Company Limited... party on the Department's service list. Respondent Selection In the event the Department limits the...

The Cultural Revolution and Contemporary Chinese Art

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Guey-Meei; Suchan, Tom

2009-01-01

Using this instructional resource, teachers can explore the impact of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) on contemporary art in mainland China with their students. The three artists Luo Zhongli (b. 1948), Xu Bing (b. 1955), and Wang Guangyi (b. 1957) came of age during the Cultural Revolution and are representative of a much larger number of…

Fast Time Domain Integral Equation Solvers for Large-Scale Electromagnetic Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-10-01

this topic coauthored by Mingyu Lu and Eric Michielssen received the Best Student Paper award at the 2001 IEEE Antennas and Propagation International...Yu Zhong, current Ph.D. student at UIUC. 18. Yujia Li, current Ph.D. student at UIUC. 19. Mingyu Lu, current Postdoctoral Fellow at UIUC. 20

EDITORIAL: Microwave Moisture Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaatze, Udo; Kupfer, Klaus; Hübner, Christof

2007-04-01

Microwave moisture measurements refer to a methodology by which the water content of materials is non-invasively determined using electromagnetic fields of radio and microwave frequencies. Being the omnipresent liquid on our planet, water occurs as a component in most materials and often exercises a significant influence on their properties. Precise measurements of the water content are thus extremely useful in pure sciences, particularly in biochemistry and biophysics. They are likewise important in many agricultural, technical and industrial fields. Applications are broad and diverse, and include the quality assessment of foodstuffs, the determination of water content in paper, cardboard and textile production, the monitoring of moisture in sands, gravels, soils and constructions, as well as the measurement of water admixtures to coal and crude oil in reservoirs and in pipelines. Microwave moisture measurements and evaluations require insights in various disciplines, such as materials science, dielectrics, the physical chemistry of water, electrodynamics and microwave techniques. The cooperation of experts from the different fields of science is thus necessary for the efficient development of this complex discipline. In order to advance cooperation the Workshop on Electromagnetic Wave Interaction with Water and Moist Substances was held in 1993 in Atlanta. It initiated a series of international conferences, of which the last one was held in 2005 in Weimar. The meeting brought together 130 scientists and engineers from all over the world. This special issue presents a collection of some selected papers that were given at the event. The papers cover most topics of the conference, featuring dielectric properties of aqueous materials, electromagnetic wave interactions, measurement methods and sensors, and various applications. The special issue is dedicated to Dr Andrzej W Kraszewski, who died in July 2006 after a distinguished career of 48 years in the research of microwave applications. Dr Kraszewski was a pioneer in moisture content sensing and the founder of microwave aquametry. He organized the first conferences on electromagnetic wave interactions with water and moist substances and helped to maintain the progress of microwave aquametry research internationally. Andrzej Kraszewski is missed by the microwave moisture measurement community who appreciated both his unusual technical ability and his pleasant and endearing character. Andrzej W Kraszewski, 1933-2006 We hope you will enjoy reading these papers and will extend your scientific curiosity to this field. Finally, we would like to thank all the authors, referees and the staff of Measurement Science and Technology for their contributions and support which have made the publication of this special issue possible.

Long range personalized cancer treatment strategies incorporating evolutionary dynamics.

PubMed

Yeang, Chen-Hsiang; Beckman, Robert A

2016-10-22

Current cancer precision medicine strategies match therapies to static consensus molecular properties of an individual's cancer, thus determining the next therapeutic maneuver. These strategies typically maintain a constant treatment while the cancer is not worsening. However, cancers feature complicated sub-clonal structure and dynamic evolution. We have recently shown, in a comprehensive simulation of two non-cross resistant therapies across a broad parameter space representing realistic tumors, that substantial improvement in cure rates and median survival can be obtained utilizing dynamic precision medicine strategies. These dynamic strategies explicitly consider intratumoral heterogeneity and evolutionary dynamics, including predicted future drug resistance states, and reevaluate optimal therapy every 45 days. However, the optimization is performed in single 45 day steps ("single-step optimization"). Herein we evaluate analogous strategies that think multiple therapeutic maneuvers ahead, considering potential outcomes at 5 steps ahead ("multi-step optimization") or 40 steps ahead ("adaptive long term optimization (ALTO)") when recommending the optimal therapy in each 45 day block, in simulations involving both 2 and 3 non-cross resistant therapies. We also evaluate an ALTO approach for situations where simultaneous combination therapy is not feasible ("Adaptive long term optimization: serial monotherapy only (ALTO-SMO)"). Simulations utilize populations of 764,000 and 1,700,000 virtual patients for 2 and 3 drug cases, respectively. Each virtual patient represents a unique clinical presentation including sizes of major and minor tumor subclones, growth rates, evolution rates, and drug sensitivities. While multi-step optimization and ALTO provide no significant average survival benefit, cure rates are significantly increased by ALTO. Furthermore, in the subset of individual virtual patients demonstrating clinically significant difference in outcome between approaches, by far the majority show an advantage of multi-step or ALTO over single-step optimization. ALTO-SMO delivers cure rates superior or equal to those of single- or multi-step optimization, in 2 and 3 drug cases respectively. In selected virtual patients incurable by dynamic precision medicine using single-step optimization, analogous strategies that "think ahead" can deliver long-term survival and cure without any disadvantage for non-responders. When therapies require dose reduction in combination (due to toxicity), optimal strategies feature complex patterns involving rapidly interleaved pulses of combinations and high dose monotherapy. This article was reviewed by Wendy Cornell, Marek Kimmel, and Andrzej Swierniak. Wendy Cornell and Andrzej Swierniak are external reviewers (not members of the Biology Direct editorial board). Andrzej Swierniak was nominated by Marek Kimmel.

Genome-wide linkage mapping of QTL for black point reaction in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

PubMed

Liu, Jindong; He, Zhonghu; Wu, Ling; Bai, Bin; Wen, Weie; Xie, Chaojie; Xia, Xianchun

2016-11-01

Nine QTL for black point resistance in wheat were identified using a RIL population derived from a Linmai 2/Zhong 892 cross and 90K SNP assay. Black point, discoloration of the embryo end of the grain, downgrades wheat grain quality leading to significant economic losses to the wheat industry. The availability of molecular markers will accelerate improvement of black point resistance in wheat breeding. The aims of this study were to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for black point resistance and tightly linked molecular markers, and to search for candidate genes using a high-density genetic linkage map of wheat. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the cross Linmai 2/Zhong 892 was evaluated for black point reaction during the 2011-2012, 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 cropping seasons, providing data for seven environments. A high-density linkage map was constructed by genotyping the RILs with the wheat 90K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip. Composite interval mapping detected nine QTL on chromosomes 2AL, 2BL, 3AL, 3BL, 5AS, 6A, 7AL (2) and 7BS, designated as QBp.caas-2AL, QBp.caas-2BL, QBp.caas-3AL, QBp.caas-3BL, QBp.caas-5AS, QBp.caas-6A, QBp.caas-7AL.1, QBp.caas-7AL.2 and QBp.caas-7BS, respectively. All resistance alleles, except for QBp.caas-7AL.1 from Linmai 2, were contributed by Zhong 892. QBp.caas-3BL, QBp.caas-5AS, QBp.caas-7AL.1, QBp.caas-7AL.2 and QBp.caas-7BS probably represent new loci for black point resistance. Sequences of tightly linked SNPs were used to survey wheat and related cereal genomes identifying three candidate genes for black point resistance. The tightly linked SNP markers can be used in marker-assisted breeding in combination with the kompetitive allele specific PCR technique to improve black point resistance.

Preventing, Identifying, and Treating Prescription Drug Misuse Among Active-Duty Service Members

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-04

tremendous support and assistance that CAPT Kevin L. Klette and LTC Thomas Martin provided to the team. Walid F. Gellad provided guidance regarding...December 28, 1981. Chapman, C. Richard, David L. Lipschitz, Martin  S. Angst, Roger Chou, Richard C. Denisco, Gary W. Donaldson, Perry G. Fine, Kathleen M...Margaret L. Griffin, Marc N. Gourevitch, Deborah L. Haller, Albert L. Hasson, Zhen Huang, Petra Jacobs, Andrzej S. Kosinski, Robert Lindblad, Elinore F

Republication of: On the general relativity theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weyl, H.

2009-07-01

This English translation of the paper by H. Weyl, "Zur allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie", Physikalische Zeitschrift 24, 230-232 (1923), in which he formulated the geometrical foundations of a model of an expanding Universe, has been selected by the Editors of General Relativity and Gravitation for publication in the Golden Oldies series of the journal. The paper is accompanied by an editorial note written by Juergen Ehlers and by Weyl's brief biography compiled by Andrzej Krasiński from internet sources, with corrections provided by Weyl's son and grandson.

75 FR 56660 - Removal of an Alias of an Existing Specially Designated National Listing

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-16

... has been amended as: LAW, Steven (a.k.a. CHUNG, Lo Ping; a.k.a. LAW, Stephen; a.k.a. LO, Ping Han; a.k.a. LO, Ping Hau; a.k.a. LO, Ping Zhong; a.k.a. LO, Steven; a.k.a. NAING, Htun Myint; a.k.a. NAING...

NANOMETER DIESEL EXHAUST PARTICLES ARE NEUROTOXIC TO DOPAMINERGIC NEURONS THROUGH MICROGLIAL ACTIVATION.

EPA Science Inventory

NANOMETER DIESEL EXHAUST PARTICLES ARE NEUROTOXIC TO DOPAMINERGIC NEURONS THROUGH MICROGLIAL ACTIVATION. M.L. Block1,2, X. Wu1, P. Zhong1, G. Li1, T. Wang1, J.S. Hong1 & B.Veronesi.2
1The Laboratory of Pharmacology and Chemistry, NIEHS, RTP, NC and 2 National Health and Envi...

Exploiting HPC Platforms for Metagenomics: Challenges and Opportunities (MICW - Metagenomics Informatics Challenges Workshop: 10K Genomes at a Time)

ScienceCinema

Canon, Shane

2018-01-24

DOE JGI's Zhong Wang, chair of the High-performance Computing session, gives a brief introduction before Berkeley Lab's Shane Canon talks about "Exploiting HPC Platforms for Metagenomics: Challenges and Opportunities" at the Metagenomics Informatics Challenges Workshop held at the DOE JGI on October 12-13, 2011.

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, China

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-05

DAXUE Induction-Density Measurement at State-of-the XUEBAO [JOURNAL OF HUAZHONG (CENTRAL Art CHINA) UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND 91P60113B Beijing KEJI...SENSORS, OPTICS Two New Optical Devices Accredited [HUAZHONG LIGONG DAXUE XUEBAO, Dec 90] ................. 22 1.3-Micron Single-Mode Laser Light...DIANXIN JISHU, Jan 91] ........................... 31 PHYSICS Shape Measurement of Synchrotron Radiation With High Time Resolution [Cao Zhong , Liu

Twenty-First Asilomar Conference on Polymeric Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-03-10

Silver Spring, MD a ’Micro- and Nano- Layered Polymer Composites" Professor Eric Baer Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH "Theoretical...Corporation Roswell, GA 30076 Dr. Zhong-he Shen Nalge Nunc International Naperville, IL 60563 Dr. Mark Sinsky Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company...on Polymers February 22-25, 1998 Micro-arid Nano- Layered Polymer Composites Eric Baer Department of Macromolecular Science Case Western

Grain-Structure Development in Heavily Cold-Rolled Alpha-Titanium (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

H.P. Lee, C. Esling , H.J. Bunge, Textures Microstruct. 7 (1988) 317–337. [10] S. Nourbakhsh, T.D. O’Brien, Mater. Sci. Eng. 100 (1988) 109–114. [11...2010) 4536–4548. [20] Y. Zhong, F. Yin, K. Nagai, J. Mater. Res. 23 (2008) 2954–2966. [21] M.J. Philippe, M. Serghat, P. Van Houtte, C. Esling , Acta

Technology Education and Technology Teacher Education in Taiwan, R.O.C. = Zhong Hua Min Guo Ke Ji Jiao Yu Ji qi shi zi Jiao Yu.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Lung-Sheng Steven; Wang, Cheng-Pin Peter; Wang, Yen-chao; Shih, Neng-Mu; Yeh, Chung-ching

Technology education in Taiwan begins with craft work at the elementary school level, and the most important point is the practical application. All junior high school students are required to take the Living Technology course. Content includes technology and life, information and communication, construction and manufacturing, and energy and…

Brush Plating of Nickel-Tungsten Alloy for Engineering Application

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

ASETS Defense ‘12 1 Brush Plating of Nickel-Tungsten Alloy for Engineering Application Zhimin Zhong & Sid Clouser Report Documentation Page Form...COVERED 00-00-2012 to 00-00-2012 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Brush Plating of Nickel-Tungsten Alloy for Engineering Application 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER...6 Surface morphology Visual appearance, scanning electron and optical microscope images. Smooth, fine grained, micro- cracked surface morphology

15 CFR Supplement No. 7 to Part 748 - Authorization Validated End-User (VEU): List of Validated End-Users, Respective Items Eligible...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Devices (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Riverfront Harbor, Building 48, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park 1387 Zhangdong Rd... Infotech Park Tower C, No. 2 Science Institute South Rd., Zhong Guan Cun, Haidian District, Beijing, China... Pte. Ltd.—Wuxi Depot c/o Sinotrans Jiangsu Fuchang Logistics Co., Ltd. 1 Xi Qin Road, Wuxi Export...

International Aviation (Selected Articles)

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-04-25

Vibration and Flutter, by Guan Peifang, Zhong Dejun ....................................................... 21 CAAC Xian Administratio Bureau has Been... aErOEngines and main airborne equipments. For thirty years, it- ha ac pLied the national evaluation flight tests c ’ --. cre th-an- 10 types of aircraft and... aeroengines and evaluatio- fli.ght tests of Several hundreds of systems and products related L l insrumTents5, higlh al t itude e scape and’ fre control

China Report, Science and Technology.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-05-06

86) 96 Slip-Line Field Problems Solved by Method of Approach (Hu Zhong , et al.; QINGHUA DAXUE XUEBAO, No 5, Oct 86) 97 Technical Development...SWITCHING-MODE REGULATOR Beijing QINGHUA DAXUE XUEBAO (ZIRAN KEXUE BAN) [JOURNAL OF TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY (NATURAL SCIENCE)] in Chinese Vol 26 No 5, Oct... Beijing QINGHUA DAXUE XUEBAO (ZIRAN KEXUE BAN) [JOURNAL OF TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY (NATURAL SCIENCE)] in Chinese Vol 26 No 5, Oct 86 pp 10-21 [English

Specific Inhibition of HER-2/neu Transcription Initiation

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-01

normoxia due to posttranslational processing involving proline hy- droxylation and the von Hippel Lindau (VHL) protein, a multifunctional adapter...inducible factor 1 alpha; VHL, Von Hippel Lindau; HRE, hypoxia response element; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; PI3K, phosphatidyl inositol...Biol. 13, 167-171. 3. Zhong, H., De Marzo, A. M., Laughner, E., Lim, M., Hilton , D. A., Zagzag, D., Buechler, P ., Isaacs, W. B., Semenza, G. L., and

Electronic structure of the ingredient planes of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 + δ and Bi2Sr2CuO6 + δ superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xucun

Understanding the mechanism of high transition temperature superconductivity in cuprates has been hindered by the apparent complexity of their multilayered crystal structure. Using a cryogenic scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), we report on layer-by-layer probing of the electronic structures of the ingredient planes (BiO, SrO, CuO2) of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 + δ (Bi-2212) and Bi2Sr2CuO6 + δ (Bi-2201) superconductors prepared by argon-ion bombardment and annealing (IBA) technique. We show that the well-known pseudogap (PG) feature observed by STM is inherently a property of the charge reservoir planes and thus irrelevant directly to Cooper pairing. The CuO2 planes are exclusively characterized by a small gap inside the PG. The small gap becomes invisible near Tc, which we identify as the superconducting gap. The results constitute severe constraints on any microscopic model for high Tc superconductivity in cuprates. Contributors: Yan-Feng Lv, Wen-Lin Wang, Hao Ding, Yang Wang, Yong Zhong, Ying Ding, Ruidan Zhong, John Schneeloch, Gen-Da Gu, Lili Wang, Ke He, Shuai-Hua Ji, Lin Zhao, Xing-Jiang Zhou Can-Li Song, and Qi-Kun Xue. NSF and MOST of China.

Republication of: A theorem on Petrov types

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldberg, J. N.; Sachs, R. K.

2009-02-01

This is a republication of the paper “A Theorem on Petrov Types” by Goldberg and Sachs, Acta Phys. Pol. 22 (supplement), 13 (1962), in which they proved the Goldberg-Sachs theorem. The article has been selected for publication in the Golden Oldies series of General Relativity and Gravitation. Typographical errors of the original publication were corrected by the editor. The paper is accompanied by a Golden Oldie Editorial containing an editorial note written by Andrzej Krasiński and Maciej Przanowski and Goldberg’s brief autobiography. The editorial note explains some difficult parts of the proof of the theorem and discusses the influence of results of the paper on later research.

Projective limits of state spaces I. Classical formalism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanéry, Suzanne; Thiemann, Thomas

2017-01-01

In this series of papers, we investigate the projective framework initiated by Jerzy Kijowski (1977) and Andrzej Okołów (2009, 2013, 2014), which describes the states of a quantum (field) theory as projective families of density matrices. A short reading guide to the series can be found in [27]. The present first paper aims at clarifying the classical structures that underlies this formalism, namely projective limits of symplectic manifolds [27, subsection 2.1]. In particular, this allows us to discuss accurately the issues hindering an easy implementation of the dynamics in this context, and to formulate a strategy for overcoming them [27, subsection 4.1].

A Comparative Study of Two Azimuth Based Non Standard Location Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-23

Standard Location Methods Rongsong JIH U.S. Department of State / Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance Bureau, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington...COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TWO AZIMUTH-BASED NON-STANDARD LOCATION METHODS R. Jih Department of State / Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance Bureau...cable. The so-called “Yin Zhong Xian” (“引中线” in Chinese) algorithm, hereafter the YZX method , is an Oriental version of IPB-based procedure. It

Dual Mode Thin Film Bulk Acoustic Resonators (FBARs) Based on AlN, ZnO and GaN Films with Tilted c-Axis Orientation

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

TERMS MEMS , acoustic wave devices, acoustic wave sensors Qing-Ming Wang University of Pittsburgh 123 University Place University Club Pittsburgh, PA...resonators,” Proc. SPIE Vol. 6223, 62230I, Micro ( MEMS ) and Nanotechnologies for Space Applications; Thomas George, Zhong-Yang Cheng; Eds. (May...microelectromechanical resonators has been recognized as a technological challenge in the current microelectronics and MEMS development. The

Molecular Structure Analysis of Aminophenyl Silsesquioxane (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-10-31

Preprint) 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR( S ) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER Andre Lee (Michigan State Univ.); Timothy S . Haddad (ERC...Joseph J. Schwab & 23030521 Yi Zhong An (Hybrid Plastics, Inc.) 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME( S ) AND...Edwards AFB CA 93524-7401 9. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME( S ) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM( S ) Air Force Research Laboratory

Stress Gradient Induced Strain Localization in Metals: High Resolution Strain Cross Sectioning via Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction (POSTPRINT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-01

DIFFRACTION (POSTPRINT) M. Croft, N. Jisrawi , Z. Zhong, K. Horvath, R.L. Holtz, M. Shepard, M. Lakshmipathy, K. Sadananda, J. Skaritka, V...5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 62102F 6. AUTHOR(S) M. Croft, N. Jisrawi , K. Horvath, V. Shukla, R.K. Sadangi, and T. Tsakalakos (Rutgers...Upton, NY 11973 N. Jisrawi Materials Science and Engineering Department, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854; Department of Basic Sciences

Gas-Phase and Surface Chemistry in Electronic Materials Processing. Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings Held in Boston, Massachusetts on November 29-December 2, 1993. Volume 334

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-01-01

CHEMISTRY IN THE PULSL’ LASER DEPOSITION OF OXIDE DIELECTRIC THIN FILMS ........................ 305 John W. Hastie, David W. Bonnell, Albert J. Paul...INVESTIGATIONS OF TiN AND Ti FILM DEPOSITION BY PLASMA ACTIVATED CVD USING CYCLOPENTADIENYL CYCLOHEPTATRIENYL TITANIUM, A LOW OXIDATION STATE PRECURSOR...Zhong Lu, Yi Ma, Scott Habertnehl, and Gerry Lucovsky ........ SPECTROSCOPIC INVESTIGATIONS OF LASER ABLATED GERMANIUM OXIDE

Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi Decoction, the Water Extract of Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine, Enhances Cisplatin Cytotoxicity in A549/DDP Cells through Induction of Apoptosis and Autophagy

PubMed Central

Xiong, Ying

2017-01-01

Cisplatin is one of the most active cytotoxic agents for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. However, the development of cisplatin resistance is common. Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi decoction (BZYQD), a Chinese traditional herbal medicine, is widely used for the enhancement of antitumor effect in other medications. In this study, we evaluated the effect and drug-resistance reversal mechanism of BZYQD combined with cisplatin on cisplatin-resistant A549/DDP cells. Our results showed that BZYQD exhibited direct cytotoxic and chemosensitizing effects. Cotreatment with BZYQD and cisplatin induced intrinsic apoptotic pathways which were measured by condensed nuclear chromatin, Annexin V/PI apoptosis assay, and apoptosis related proteins expression. In addition, cotreatment with BZYQD and cisplatin also activated autophagy, as indicated by an increase in LC3 puncta, classical autophagosomes and/or autolysosomes, and an accumulation of LC3-II and ATG7 protein. Finally, cotreatment with BZYQD and cisplatin resulted in the generation of ROS and scavenging ROS by NAC almost completely suppressing cell death. These results suggest that cotreatment with BZYQD and cisplatin might reverse cisplatin resistance by inducing ROS accumulation, which activates apoptosis and autophagy by oxidative stress. The combination of BZYQD and cisplatin may represent a novel approach in treatment for NSCLC and thus offer a new target for chemotherapy. PMID:28154825

Nontarget Effects of Aerial Mosquito Adulticiding With Water-Based Unsynergized Pyrethroids on Honey Bees and Other Beneficial Insects in an Agricultural Ecosystem of North Greece

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-01

bioassays do not take into account the biology of the bees, which return to their hives during the night ( Seeley 1996). Zhong et al. (2004...not foraging and are sheltered in beehives ( Seeley 1996) results inminimal exposure of bees to the insecticides. Insecticide residuesonwater, or...Institute, Cary, NC. Seeley , T. D. 1996. The wisdom of the hive: the social phys- iology of honey bee colonies. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA

COMMITTEES: SQM2006 Organising and International Advisory Committees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2006-12-01

Organising Committee Kenneth Barish Huan Zhong Huang Joseph Kapusta Grazyna Odyniec Johann Rafelski Charles A Whitten Jr International Advisory Committee Jörg Aichelin Federico Antinori Tamas Biró Jean Cleymans Lazlo Csernai Tim Hallman Ulrich Heinz Sonja Kabana Rob Lacey Yu-Gang Ma Jes Madsen Yasuo Miake Berndt Mueller Grazyna Odyniec Helmut Oeschler Apostolos Panagiotou Johann Rafelski Hans Ritter Karel Safarik Jack Sandweiss Jürgen Schaffner-Bielich Wen-Qing Shen Georges Stephans Horst Stöcker Thomas Ullrich Bill Zajc

From Mao toward Modernity: The Increasing Westernization of the People’s Liberation Army

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-22

42Xiaoping Deng and Zhongguo gong chan dang. Zhong yang Makesi En’gesi Liening Sidalin zhu zuo bian yi ju., Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping, 1982...1992. vol. 3, 1st ed. ( Beijing , China: Foreign Languages Press, 1994), 133. 43Information Office of the State Council, The People’s Republic of China...its sovereign interests in what Beijing considered its backyard. The result was Beijing’s adoption of a strategy that sought to compel greater

Association between Social Integration and Health among Internal Migrants in ZhongShan, China

PubMed Central

Lin, Yanwei; Zhang, Qi; Chen, Wen; Shi, Jingrong; Han, Siqi; Song, Xiaolei; Xu, Yong; Ling, Li

2016-01-01

Internal migrants are the individuals who migrate between regions in one country. The number of internal migrants were estimated at 245 million in China in 2013. Results were inconsistent in the literature about the relationship between their health statuses and social integration. The main difference exists on how to measure the social integration and whether health statuses of internal migrants improve with years of residence. To complement the existing literature, this study measured social integration more comprehensively and estimated the internal migrants’ health statuses with varying years of residence, and explored the associations between the migrants’ social integration and health. We used the data from 2014 Internal Migrant Dynamic Monitoring Survey of Health and Family Planning in ZhongShan, China. Health status was measured from four aspects: self-reported health, subjective well-being, perception of stress, mental health. We measured social integration through four dimensions: economy, social communication, acculturation, and self-identity. The analyses used multiple linear regressions to examine the associations between self-reported health, subjective well-being, and perception of stress, mental health and social integration. The analytical sample included 1,999 households of the internal migrants and 1,997 local registered households, who were permanent residents in ZhongShan. Among the internal migrants, Adults in the labor force, who were aged 25 to 44 years old, accounted for 91.2% of the internal migrant population, while 74.6% of the registered population were in that age group. Median residential time among migrants was 2.8 (1.3–6.2) years, and 20.2% of them were migrating in the same Guangdong province. Except for mental health, other health statuses among migrants had significant differences compared with local registered population, e.g. self-reported health was better, but subjective well-being was worse. However, these health measurements were improved with more years of residence. Moreover, our results show that two aspects of social integration, economic integration and self-identity, were significantly associated with health status. Subjective feeling of relative social status levels were more associated with health, which prompted the attention to social fairness and the creation of a fair and respectful culture. More interventions could be experimented, such as encouraging internal migrants to participate in community activities more actively, educating local registered residents to treat internal migrants more equally, and developing self-identity among internal migrants. Better social, economic, and cultural environment can benefit internal migrants’ health statuses. PMID:26863008

Association between Social Integration and Health among Internal Migrants in ZhongShan, China.

PubMed

Lin, Yanwei; Zhang, Qi; Chen, Wen; Shi, Jingrong; Han, Siqi; Song, Xiaolei; Xu, Yong; Ling, Li

2016-01-01

Internal migrants are the individuals who migrate between regions in one country. The number of internal migrants were estimated at 245 million in China in 2013. Results were inconsistent in the literature about the relationship between their health statuses and social integration. The main difference exists on how to measure the social integration and whether health statuses of internal migrants improve with years of residence. To complement the existing literature, this study measured social integration more comprehensively and estimated the internal migrants' health statuses with varying years of residence, and explored the associations between the migrants' social integration and health. We used the data from 2014 Internal Migrant Dynamic Monitoring Survey of Health and Family Planning in ZhongShan, China. Health status was measured from four aspects: self-reported health, subjective well-being, perception of stress, mental health. We measured social integration through four dimensions: economy, social communication, acculturation, and self-identity. The analyses used multiple linear regressions to examine the associations between self-reported health, subjective well-being, and perception of stress, mental health and social integration. The analytical sample included 1,999 households of the internal migrants and 1,997 local registered households, who were permanent residents in ZhongShan. Among the internal migrants, Adults in the labor force, who were aged 25 to 44 years old, accounted for 91.2% of the internal migrant population, while 74.6% of the registered population were in that age group. Median residential time among migrants was 2.8 (1.3-6.2) years, and 20.2% of them were migrating in the same Guangdong province. Except for mental health, other health statuses among migrants had significant differences compared with local registered population, e.g. self-reported health was better, but subjective well-being was worse. However, these health measurements were improved with more years of residence. Moreover, our results show that two aspects of social integration, economic integration and self-identity, were significantly associated with health status. Subjective feeling of relative social status levels were more associated with health, which prompted the attention to social fairness and the creation of a fair and respectful culture. More interventions could be experimented, such as encouraging internal migrants to participate in community activities more actively, educating local registered residents to treat internal migrants more equally, and developing self-identity among internal migrants. Better social, economic, and cultural environment can benefit internal migrants' health statuses.

Synthesis of Si Nanowires for an Anode Material of Li Batteries

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-04

Zhou, H. Li, H.P. Sun , D.P. Yu, Y.Q. Wang, X.J. Huang, L.Q. Chen, Z. Zhang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 75 (16) (1999) 2447 6. A.M. Wilson, B.M. Way, J.R. Dahn...Y. Liu, Electrochem. Commun. 5 (2003) 165 12. Tatsuo Umeno, Kenji Fukuda, Hongyu Wang, Nikolay Dimov, Takashi Iwao, Masaki Yoshio, Chem. Lett...Hansu Kim, Junghee Choi, Hun-Joon Sohn and Tak Kang, J. Electrochem. Soc. 146 (12) (1999) 4401 18. G.X. Wang, L. Sun , D.H. Bradhurst, S. Zhong, S.X. Dou

Republication of: The physical reality of some normal spaces of Bianchi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levi-Civita, T.

2011-08-01

This is an English translation of the first of two papers by Tullio Levi-Civita, first published in 1917 and 1919. The papers are remarkable as being among the earliest in which exact solutions of Einstein's equations were derived. Of the two solutions presented, the first (republished as this Golden Oldie) is better known today as the Bertotti-Robinson solution, and the second one (republished as an accompanying Golden Oldie) is the gravitational field of an infinite cylinder. The papers have been selected by the Editors of General Relativity and Gravitation for republication in the Golden Oldies series of the journal. This republication is accompanied by an editorial note written by Malcolm MacCallum, and by a brief biography of the author, compiled from internet sources by Andrzej Krasiński.

PREFACE: Joint European Magnetic Symposia - JEMS 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spałek, Jozef

2011-07-01

Conference banner The Joint European Magnetic Symposia JEMS 2010 took place in the complex Auditorium Maximum of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, between 23-28 August 2010. It followed the series of the conferences in Grenoble (2001), Dresden (2004), San Sebastian (2006), and Dublin (2008). The next Symposia will be held in 2012 in Parma (Italy). The Symposia cover a broad range of aspects of magnetism and magnetic materials, as well as providing a forum for the magnetism community to discuss new concepts, properties, and developments in all branches of fundamental and applied magnetism. The JEMS 2010 Symposia were organized by the Institute of Physics of Jagiellonian University, in cooperation with AGH University of Science and Technology (Kraków), Cracow University of Technology, Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków, and the Silesian University in Katowice. I thank the Local Committee, and in particular Professor Krzysztof Tomala, for their hard work long before, during, and after the Conference. We dedicate this volume to Professor Henryk Szymczak from the Institute of Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences for his long lasting service to the magnetism community and the organizational effort in bringing this Conference to our community. Thank you Henryk! The Conference contained Plenary Sessions and 16 Symposia, which are listed below. Most of them had two chairpersons (also listed), one from abroad and one from Poland. I believe that a collective chairmanship of the Symposia is very helpful in both their organization, as well as in the reviewing process of the papers submitted to the Conference Proceedings. I would like to cordially thank all the persons listed below, who have contributed enormously to the success of our meeting. The Proceedings comprises 116 invited and contributed papers. I thank the Co-editors for their continuing work long after the Conference. Arrivederci in Parma! Jozef SpałekChairman of JEMS 2010 Symposia 1. Plenary, Semi-plenary, Tutorials 2. Magnetization Processes Spin Excitations and Ultrafast DynamicsCoordinator: Andrzej Maziewski (Bialystok) 3. Hard Magnetic Materials and MagnetocaloricsCoordinator: Henryk Figiel (Kraków) 4. Magnetic HydridesCoordinators: Ladislav Havela (Praha), Zbigniew Tarnawski (Kraków) 5. Interface of Magnetic Thin FilmsCoordinators: Jürgen Fassbender (Dresden), N-T H Kim-Ngan (Kraków) 6. Magnonic CrystalsCoordinators: Bahram Djafari-Rouhani (Lille), Henryk Puszkarski (Poznan) 7. Magnetism of Metals, Alloys, and IntermetallicsCoordinator: Andrzej Szytula (Kraków) 8. Molecular MagnetismCoordinators: Stephen Blundell (Oxford), Maria Balanda (Kraków) 9. Magnetooptics of NanomagnetsCoordinators: Kamil Postava (Ostrava), Marek Kisielewski (Bialystok) 10. NanomagnetismCoordinators: Marek Przybylski (Halle), Jürgen Kirschner (Halle) 11. Other topics - Biomagnetism, Domain Walls, InstrumentationCoordinator: Henryk Figiel (Kraków) 12. Magnetic Perovskites and MultiferroicsCoordinator: Henryk Szymczak (Warszawa) 13. Magnetic Semiconductors and InsulatorsCoordinators: Klaus Baerner (Göttingen), Tadeusz Gron (Katowice) 14. Magnetic Shape Memory Effects and Related PhenomenaCoordinators: Oliver Gutfleisch (Dresden), Sebastian Fähler (Dresden) 15. Soft Magnetic MaterialsCoordinators: Julian González (San Sebastian), Krzysztof Kulakowski (Kraków) 16. SpintronicsCoordinator: Maciej Sawicki (Warszawa) 17. Strongly Correlated Electron Systems, Magnetism and SuperconductivityCoordinator: Andrzej Slebarski (Katowice) The next Joint European Magnetic Symposia, JEMS 2012, will be held in Parma, Italy, 9-14 September 2012.www.jems2012.itCo-Chairs:Franca Albertini, Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), CNR, ParmaRoberto De Renzi, Department of Physics, University of Parma

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Mature Pollen in Triploid and Diploid Populus deltoides

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiao-Ling; Zhang, Jin; Guo, Ying-Hua; Sun, Pei; Jia, Hui-Xia; Fan, Wei; Lu, Meng-Zhu; Hu, Jian-Jun

2016-01-01

Ploidy affects plant growth vigor and cell size, but the relative effects of pollen fertility and allergenicity between triploid and diploid have not been systematically examined. Here we performed comparative analyses of fertility, proteome, and abundances of putative allergenic proteins of pollen in triploid poplar ‘ZhongHuai1’ (‘ZH1’, triploid) and ‘ZhongHuai2’ (‘ZH2’, diploid) generated from the same parents. The mature pollen was sterile in triploid poplar ‘ZH1’. By applying two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), a total of 72 differentially expressed protein spots (DEPs) were detected in triploid poplar pollen. Among them, 24 upregulated and 43 downregulated proteins were identified in triploid poplar pollen using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation coupled with time of-flight tandem mass spectrometer analysis (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS/MS). The main functions of these DEPs were related with “S-adenosylmethionine metabolism”, “actin cytoskeleton organization”, or “translational elongation”. The infertility of triploid poplar pollen might be related to its abnormal cytoskeletal system. In addition, the abundances of previously identified 28 putative allergenic proteins were compared among three poplar varieties (‘ZH1’, ‘ZH2’, and ‘2KEN8‘). Most putative allergenic proteins were downregulated in triploid poplar pollen. This work provides an insight into understanding the protein regulation mechanism of pollen infertility and low allergenicity in triploid poplar, and gives a clue to improving poplar polyploidy breeding and decreasing the pollen allergenicity. PMID:27598155

Reply to ``Comment II on `Quantum secret sharing based on reusable Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states as secure carriers' ''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karimipour, V.

2006-07-01

In the preceding Comment [Jian-Zhong Du, Su-Juan Qin, Qiao-Yan Wen, and Fu-Chen Zhu, Phys. Rev. A 74, 016301 (2006)], it has been shown that in a quantum secret sharing protocol proposed in [S. Bagherinezhad and V. Karimipour, Phys. Rev. A 67, 044302 (2003)], one of the receivers can cheat by splitting the entanglement of the carrier and intercepting the secret, without being detected. In this reply we show that a simple modification of the protocol prevents the receivers from this kind of cheating.

Republication of: Einsteinian ds 2 in Newtonian fields. IX: The analog of the logarithmic potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levi-Civita, T.

2011-08-01

This is an English translation of the second of two papers by Tullio Levi-Civita, first published in 1917 and 1919. The papers are remarkable as being among the earliest in which exact solutions of Einstein's equations were derived. Of the two solutions presented, the first (republished as an accompanying Golden Oldie) is better known today as the Bertotti-Robinson solution, and the second one (republished as this Golden Oldie) is the gravitational field of an infinite cylinder. The papers have been selected by the Editors of General Relativity and Gravitation for republication in the Golden Oldies series of the journal. This republication is accompanied by an editorial note written by Malcolm MacCallum, and by a brief biography of the author, compiled from internet sources by Andrzej Krasiński.

Protective effect of Bu-zhong-yi-qi decoction, the water extract of Chinese traditional herbal medicine, on 5-fluorouracil-induced renal injury in mice.

PubMed

Xiong, Ying; Shang, Bingzhen; Xu, Siying; Zhao, Ran; Gou, He; Wang, Chun

2016-09-01

Drug-induced renal injury is a serious toxic side effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment. Bu-zhong-yi-qi decoction (BZYQD), a water extract of Chinese traditional herbal medicine, is widely used in Asia as an alternative treatment to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and also improve cancer survival. However, the mechanism is unknown. This study is designed to investigate the protective effect of BZYQD on 5-FU-induced renal injury in mice. Mice were divided into four groups: the control, 5-FU, 5-FU + low, and high BZYQD group. Mice in the three latter groups were administered 5-FU (100 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneally) for six days, and in the 5-FU + low and high BZYQD groups were given BZYQD (1 or 2 g raw herb/kg/day, intragastrically) beginning four days before 5-FU and continuing until the termination of the experiment. The right kidney fixed in formalin for histological examination and the left was homogenized to measure the levels of apoptosis-related proteins and activities of oxidative stress-related biomarkers. Blood samples were collected for measuring renal function-related biochemical indices. Renal morphology injury, increased urea nitrogen and creatinine concentration, and decreased SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px were all observed in 5-FU-administrated mice. However, BZYQD almost reversed the morphological injury as well as renal function-related indices and antioxidant enzyme activity. These results suggest that BZYQD inhibits 5-FU-induced renal injury, possibly through the reduction of apoptosis and necrosis in renal tubular epithelial cells via the antioxidant mechanism. Henceforth, BZYQD may be a potential antioxidant against drug-induced oxidative stress.

The systematic assessment of traditional evidence from the premodern Chinese medical literature: a text-mining approach.

PubMed

May, Brian H; Zhang, Anthony; Lu, Yubo; Lu, Chuanjian; Xue, Charlie C L

2014-12-01

This project aimed to develop an approach to evaluating information contained in the premodern Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) literature that was (1) comprehensive, systematic, and replicable and (2) able to produce quantifiable output that could be used to answer specific research questions in order to identify natural products for clinical and experimental research. The project involved two stages. In stage 1, 14 TCM collections and compendia were evaluated for suitability as sources for searching; 8 of these were compared in detail. The results were published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Stage 2 developed a text-mining approach for two of these sources. The text-mining approach was developed for Zhong Hua Yi Dian; Encyclopaedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 4th edition) and Zhong Yi Fang Ji Da Ci Dian; Great Compendium of Chinese Medical Formulae). This approach developed procedures for search term selection; methods for screening, classifying, and scoring data; procedures for systematic searching and data extraction; data checking procedures; and approaches for analyzing results. Examples are provided for studies of memory impairment and diabetic nephropathy, and issues relating to data interpretation are discussed. This approach to the analysis of large collections of the premodern TCM literature uses widely available sources and provides a text-mining approach that is systematic, replicable, and adaptable to the requirements of the particular project. Researchers can use these methods to explore changes in the names and conceptions of a disease over time, to identify which therapeutic methods have been more or less frequently used in different eras for particular disorders, and to assist in the selection of natural products for research efforts.

Significant role of structural fractures in Ren-Qiu buried-block oil field, eastern China

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fei, Q.; Xie-Pei, W.

1983-03-01

Ren-qui oil field is in a buried block of Sinian (upper Proterozoic) rocks located in the Ji-zhong depression of the western Bohai Bay basin in eastern China. The main reservoir consists of Sinian dolomite rocks. It is a fault block with a large growth fault on the west side which trends north-northeast with throws of up to 1 km (0.6 mi) or more. The source rocks for the oil are Paleogene age and overlie the Sinian dolomite rocks. The structural fractures are the main factor forming the reservoir of the buried-block oil field. Three structural lines, trending northeast, north-northeast, andmore » northwest, form the regional netted fracture system. The north-northeast growth fault controlled the structural development of the buried block. The block was raised and eroded before the Tertiary sediments were deposited. In the Eocene Epoch, the Ji-zhong depression subsided, but the deposition, faulting, and related uplift of the block happened synchronously as the block was gradually submerged. At the same time, several horizontal and vertical karst zones were formed by the karst water along the netted structural fractures. The Eocene oil source rocks lapped onto the block and so the buried block, with many developed karst fractures, was surrounded by a great thickness of source rocks. As the growth fault developed, the height of the block was increased from 400 m (1300 ft) before the Oligocene to 1300 m (4250 ft) after. As the petroleum was generated, it migrated immediately into the karst fractures of the buried block along the growth fault. The karst-fractured block reservoir has an 800-m (2600-ft) high oil-bearing closure and good connections developed between the karst fractures.« less

A Numerical Investigation of the Burnett Equations Based on the Second Law

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Comeaux, Keith A.; Chapman, Dean R.; MacCormack, Robert W.; Edwards, Thomas A. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

The Burnett equations have been shown to potentially violate the second law of thermodynamics. The objective of this investigation is to correlate the numerical problems experienced by the Burnett equations to the negative production of entropy. The equations have had a long history of numerical instability to small wavelength disturbances. Recently, Zhong corrected the instability problem and made solutions attainable for one dimensional shock waves and hypersonic blunt bodies. Difficulties still exist when attempting to solve hypersonic flat plate boundary layers and blunt body wake flows, however. Numerical experiments will include one-dimensional shock waves, quasi-one dimensional nozzles, and expanding Prandlt-Meyer flows and specifically examine the entropy production for these cases.

Observational Constraints on Lithospheric Rheology and Their Implications for Lithospheric Dynamics and Plate Tectonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, S.; Watts, A. B.

2014-12-01

Lithospheric rheology and strength are important for understanding crust and lithosphere dynamics, and the conditions for plate tectonics. Laboratory studies suggest that lithospheric rheology is controlled by frictional sliding, semi-brittle, low-temperature plasticity, and high-temperature creep deformation mechanisms as pressure and temperature increase from shallow to large depths. Although rheological equations for these deformation mechanisms have been determined in laboratory settings, it is necessary to validate them using field observations. Here we present an overview of lithospheric rheology constrained by observations of seismic structure and load-induced flexure. Together with mantle dynamic modeling, rheological equations for high-temperature creep derived from laboratory studies (Hirth and Kohlstedt, 2003; Karato and Jung, 2003) satisfactorily explain the seismic structure of the Pacific upper mantle (Hunen et al., 2005) and Hawaiian swell topography (Asaadi et al., 2011). In a recent study that compared modeled surface flexure and stress induced by volcano loads in the Hawaiian Islands region with the observed flexure and seismicity, Zhong and Watts (2013) showed that the coefficient of friction is between 0.25 and 0.7, and is consistent with laboratory studies and also in-situ borehole measurements. However, this study indicated that the rheological equation for the low-temperature plasticity from laboratory studies (e.g., Mei et al., 2010) significantly over-predicts lithospheric strength and viscosity. Zhong and Watts (2013) also showed that the maximum lithospheric stress beneath Hawaiian volcano loads is about 100-200 MPa, which may be viewed as the largest lithospheric stress in the Earth's lithosphere. We show that the relatively weak lithospheric strength in the low-temperature plasticity regime is consistent with seismic observation of reactivated mantle lithosphere in the western US and the eastern North China. We discuss here the causes of this weakening in the context of the potential effects on laboratory studies of reduced grain size and Peierls stress on the low-temperature deformation regime.

Changes in expression of BDNF and its receptors TrkB and p75NTR in the hippocampus of a dog model of chronic alcoholism and abstinence.

PubMed

Xu, R; Duan, S R; Zhao, J W; Wang, C Y

2015-08-01

Chronic ethanol consumption can produce learning and memory deficits. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptors affect the pathogenesis of alcoholism. In this study, we examined the expression of BDNF, tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) and p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) in the hippocampus of a dog model of chronic alcoholism and abstinence. Twenty domestic dogs (9-10 months old, 15-20 kg; 10 males and 10 females) were obtained from Harbin Medical University. A stable alcoholism model was established through ad libitum feeding, and anti-alcohol drug treatment (Zhong Yao Jie Jiu Ling, the main ingredient was the stems of watermelon; developed in our laboratory), at low- and high-doses, was carried out. The Zhong Yao Jie Jiu Ling was effective for the alcoholism in dogs. The morphology of hippocampal neurons was evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin staining. The number and morphological features of BDNF, TrkB and p75NTR-positive neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG), and the CA1, CA3 and CA4 regions of the hippocampus were observed using immunohistochemistry. One-way ANOVA was used to determine differences in BDNF, TrkB and p75NTR expression. BDNF, TrkB and p75NTR-positive cells were mainly localized in the granular cell layer of the DG and in the pyramidal cell layer of the CA1, CA3 and CA4 regions (DG>CA1>CA3>CA4). Expression levels of both BDNF and TrkB were decreased in chronic alcoholism, and increased after abstinence. The CA4 region appeared to show the greatest differences. Changes in p75NTR expression were the opposite of those of BDNF and TrkB, with the greatest differences observed in the DG and CA4 regions.

High-density genetic linkage map construction by F2 populations and QTL analysis of early-maturity traits in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

PubMed

Li, Libei; Zhao, Shuqi; Su, Junji; Fan, Shuli; Pang, Chaoyou; Wei, Hengling; Wang, Hantao; Gu, Lijiao; Zhang, Chi; Liu, Guoyuan; Yu, Dingwei; Liu, Qibao; Zhang, Xianlong; Yu, Shuxun

2017-01-01

Due to China's rapidly increasing population, the total arable land area has dramatically decreased; as a consequence, the competition for farming land allocated for grain and cotton production has become fierce. Therefore, to overcome the existing contradiction between cotton grain and fiber production and the limited farming land, development of early-maturing cultivars is necessary. In this research, a high-density linkage map of upland cotton was constructed using genotyping by sequencing (GBS) to discover single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with early maturity in 170 F2 individuals derived from a cross between LU28 and ZHONG213. The high-density genetic map, which was composed of 3978 SNP markers across the 26 cotton chromosomes, spanned 2480 cM with an average genetic distance of 0.62 cM. Collinearity analysis showed that the genetic map was of high quality and accurate and agreed well with the Gossypium hirsutum reference genome. Based on this high-density linkage map, QTL analysis was performed on cotton early-maturity traits, including FT, FBP, WGP, NFFB, HNFFB and PH. A total 47 QTLs for the six traits were detected; each of these QTLs explained between 2.61% and 32.57% of the observed phenotypic variation. A major region controlling early-maturity traits in Gossypium hirsutum was identified for FT, FBP, WGP, NFFB and HNFFB on chromosome D03. QTL analyses revealed that phenotypic variation explained (PVE) ranged from 10.42% to 32.57%. Two potential candidate genes, Gh_D03G0885 and Gh_D03G0922, were predicted in a stable QTL region and had higher expression levels in the early-maturity variety ZHONG213 than in the late-maturity variety LU28. However, further evidence is required for functional validation. This study could provide useful information for the dissection of early-maturity traits and guide valuable genetic loci for molecular-assisted selection (MAS) in cotton breeding.

High-density genetic linkage map construction by F2 populations and QTL analysis of early-maturity traits in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

PubMed Central

Li, Libei; Zhao, Shuqi; Su, Junji; Fan, Shuli; Pang, Chaoyou; Wei, Hengling; Wang, Hantao; Gu, Lijiao; Zhang, Chi; Liu, Guoyuan; Yu, Dingwei; Liu, Qibao; Zhang, Xianlong

2017-01-01

Due to China’s rapidly increasing population, the total arable land area has dramatically decreased; as a consequence, the competition for farming land allocated for grain and cotton production has become fierce. Therefore, to overcome the existing contradiction between cotton grain and fiber production and the limited farming land, development of early-maturing cultivars is necessary. In this research, a high-density linkage map of upland cotton was constructed using genotyping by sequencing (GBS) to discover single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with early maturity in 170 F2 individuals derived from a cross between LU28 and ZHONG213. The high-density genetic map, which was composed of 3978 SNP markers across the 26 cotton chromosomes, spanned 2480 cM with an average genetic distance of 0.62 cM. Collinearity analysis showed that the genetic map was of high quality and accurate and agreed well with the Gossypium hirsutum reference genome. Based on this high-density linkage map, QTL analysis was performed on cotton early-maturity traits, including FT, FBP, WGP, NFFB, HNFFB and PH. A total 47 QTLs for the six traits were detected; each of these QTLs explained between 2.61% and 32.57% of the observed phenotypic variation. A major region controlling early-maturity traits in Gossypium hirsutum was identified for FT, FBP, WGP, NFFB and HNFFB on chromosome D03. QTL analyses revealed that phenotypic variation explained (PVE) ranged from 10.42% to 32.57%. Two potential candidate genes, Gh_D03G0885 and Gh_D03G0922, were predicted in a stable QTL region and had higher expression levels in the early-maturity variety ZHONG213 than in the late-maturity variety LU28. However, further evidence is required for functional validation. This study could provide useful information for the dissection of early-maturity traits and guide valuable genetic loci for molecular-assisted selection (MAS) in cotton breeding. PMID:28809947

Apex shift of a circular biconcave vesicle induced by osmotic pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Quan-Hui; Yan, Jie; Zhong-Can, Ou-Yang

1999-09-01

The contribution of a small osmotic pressure into the exact circular biconcave solution (H. Naito, M. Okuda, Ou-Yang Zhong-Can, Phys. Rev. E 48 (1993) 2304; 54 (1996) 2816) of the spontaneous curvature model of Helfrich leads to a definite and new theoretical consequence, the radius of the apex of the biconcave shape can shift toward to or apart from the center depending on the increase or decrease of the osmotic pressure. This result is in agreement with the following observed phenomena: The first stage of the discocyte-echinocyte and the discocyte-spherocyte transformation induced by exposing the cells to high concentrations of certain chemical agents; and the ring-shaped torocyte formation due to the iron deficiency or thalassemia.

Mammalian and avian embryology at Warsaw University (Poland) from XIX century to the present.

PubMed

Tarkowski, Andrzej K; Maleszewski, Marek; Rogulska, Teresa; Ciemerych, Maria A; Borsuk, Ewa

2008-01-01

In this article, we describe the history (between the XIX century and World War II) of embryological research conducted at Warsaw University, together with current research activities being carried out at the Department of Embryology. During the partition of Poland, the Imperial (Russian) Warsaw University conducted research on avian embryology (and to a smaller extent, on reptilian embryology). When Poland regained independence in 1918, these studies were continued under the Chair of Comparative Anatomy headed by Professor Jan Tur. A new Department of Embryology created in 1954 was first headed by Professor Stanislaw Bilewicz and since 1964 by Professor Andrzej Tarkowski, who in 2003 was succeeded by Dr. Marek Maleszewski D.Sc. During the last 45 years, embryological research at Warsaw University has concentrated mainly on mammalian development with special emphasis on the regulative capabilities of early embryos and also on experimental chimaeras, nucleo-cytoplasmic interactions in oogenesis and early embryogenesis (including regulation of DNA replication and transcription), experimental parthenogenesis and fertilization.

Meeting report for Odd Pols 2016: Ann Arbor 2.0.

PubMed

Roy-Engel, Astrid M

2017-05-15

The Tenth International Conference on Transcription by RNA Polymerases I, III, IV and V (the 'Odd Pols') was held June 24-28, 2016 at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA and organized by David Engelke, Deborah Johnson, Richard Maraia, Lawrence Rothblum, David Schneider, Andrzej Wierzbicki and Astrid Engel. The organizers are grateful for the support from the Rackham Graduate School of the University of Michigan for providing the meeting venue. The environment provided a great background with unexpected encounters with fireflies, free live music and a festive fireworks display. The meeting was composed of eleven oral sessions and a poster session. The keynote speaker, Dave Engelke, opened the meeting with his presentation entitled "A personal history of pol III transcription - how we got here from the 'good old days'." The meeting drew attendees from sixteen countries that shared their research discoveries. Here we present some of the highlights from the meeting using summaries provided by the participants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Meeting report for "OddPols" 2014: the odds invite an even.

PubMed

Roy-Engel, Astrid M

2015-02-01

The Ninth International Biennial Conference on RNA Polymerases I and III (the "OddPols") was held on June 19-21, 2014 at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. Sponsored by New England Biolabs, the Cayman Chemical Company, the Rackham Graduate School and the University of Michigan Health System, and organized by David Engelke, Craig Pikaard, Lawrence Rothblum, Andrzej Wierzbicki and Astrid Engel. This year at the conference, the "odds" were increased by expanding the usual topics on the advances in RNA polymerases I and III research to include presentations on RNA polymerase IV and V. The keynote speaker, Craig Pikaard, opened the meeting with his presentation entitled "Five nuclear multisubunit RNA polymerases". The meeting drew attendees from fourteen countries that shared their research discoveries through oral and poster presentations. The talks were organized into 11 sessions covering seven distinct topics. Here we present some of the highlights from the meeting using summaries provided by the participants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comment on "Construction of regular black holes in general relativity"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bronnikov, Kirill A.

2017-12-01

We claim that the paper by Zhong-Ying Fan and Xiaobao Wang on nonlinear electrodynamics coupled to general relativity [Phys. Rev. D 94,124027 (2016)], although correct in general, in some respects repeats previously obtained results without giving proper references. There is also an important point missing in this paper, which is necessary for understanding the physics of the system: in solutions with an electric charge, a regular center requires a non-Maxwell behavior of Lagrangian function L (f ) , (f =Fμ νFμ ν) at small f . Therefore, in all electric regular black hole solutions with a Reissner-Nordström asymptotic, the Lagrangian L (f ) is different in different parts of space, and the electromagnetic field behaves in a singular way at surfaces where L (f ) suffers branching.

[Textual research on wei sheng (hygiene) and gong gong wei sheng (public health)].

PubMed

Yan, N; Chen, L Y

2016-03-01

Wei sheng, a verb-object word group existed since the ancient time, referring to"protection of life", and it was evolved as a single word which can be translated as"hygiene"in modern times with multiple implications like"cleanliness","sterilization", and"prevention of disease", etc. Gong gong wei sheng was isolated from"hygiene", which has become a new term. In the Republic of China, scholars had made preliminary studies on the translation of"hygiene"during which gong gong wei sheng, and"guo min wei sheng"(national hygiene) and"gong zhong wei sheng"(people's hygiene) appeared also. Though the term"public health"was defined by the WHO and gong gong wei sheng was defined by Chinese scholars with gradual improvement, yet, the implications of both terms are still imperfect.

RETRACTED: Association between the ACE I/D gene polymorphism and T2DN susceptibility: The risk of T2DM developing into T2DN in the Asian population.

PubMed

Zhong, Weiqiang; Jiang, Zongpei; Zhou, Tian-Biao

2015-12-01

This article has been included in a multiple retraction: Weiqiang Zhong, Zongpei Jiang, and Tian-Biao Zhou Association between the ACE I/D gene polymorphism and T2DN susceptibility: The risk of T2DM developing into T2DN in the Asian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314566019, first published on January 26, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314566019 This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors and the Publisher. After conducting a thorough investigation, SAGE found that the submitting authors of a number of papers published in the Journal of the Renin-Angiotensin Aldosterone System ( JRAAS) (listed below) had supplied fabricated contact details for their nominated reviewers. The Editors accepted these papers based on the reports supplied by the individuals using these fake reviewer email accounts. After concluding that the peer review process was therefore seriously compromised, SAGE and the journal Editors have decided to retract all affected articles. Online First articles (these articles will not be published in an issue) Wenzhuang Tang, Tian-Biao Zhou, and Zongpei Jiang Association of the angiotensinogen M235T gene polymorphism with risk of diabetes mellitus developing into diabetic nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314563426, first published on December 18, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314563426 Tian-Biao Zhou, Hong-Yan Li, Zong-Pei Jiang, Jia-Fan Zhou, Miao-Fang Huang, and Zhi-Yang Zhou Role of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors in radiation nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314563424, first published on December 18, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314563424 Weiqiang Zhong, Zongpei Jiang, and Tian-Biao Zhou Association between the ACE I/D gene polymorphism and T2DN susceptibility: The risk of T2DM developing into T2DN in the Asian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314566019, first published on January 26, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314566019 Tian-Biao Zhou, Xue-Feng Guo, Zongpei Jiang, and Hong-Yan Li Relationship between the ACE I/D gene polymorphism and T1DN susceptibility/risk of T1DM developing into T1DN in the Caucasian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314563425, first published on February 1, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314563425 Chun-Hua Yang and Tian-Biao Zhou Relationship between the angiotensinogen A1166C gene polymorphism and the risk of diabetes mellitus developing into diabetic nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314566221, first published on February 1, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314566221 Chun-Hua Yang and Tian-Biao Zhou Association of the ACE I/D gene polymorphism with sepsis susceptibility and sepsis progression Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314568521, first published on February 3, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314568521 Articles published in an issue Guohui Liu, Tian-Biao Zhou, Zongpei Jiang, and Dongwen Zheng Association of ACE I/D gene polymorphism with T2DN susceptibility and the risk of T2DM developing into T2DN in a Caucasian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System March 2015 16: 165-171, first published on November 14, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314557849 Weiqiang Zhong, Zhongliang Huang, Yong Wu, Zongpei Jiang, and Tian-Biao Zhou Association of aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) gene polymorphism with IgA nephropathy risk and progression of IgA nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System September 2015 16: 660-665, first published on August 20, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314524011.

Supercontinent Pangea, Mantle Dynamics, and Reference Frame of Global Plate Motions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, S.; Rudolph, M. L.; Liu, X.

2014-12-01

Arguably the most important and challenging goal in geodynamics is to understand the two-way dynamics between tectonic plates and mantle convection. While it has long been recognized that the present-day degree-2 mantle structure as imaged seismically is closely related to the plate motions (Hager and O'Connell, 1981) and their history (<119 Ma) (Ricard et al., 1993; McNamara and Zhong, 2005), recent studies have expanded this concept, from two different perspectives, by seeking connections between Pangea assembly and breakup and mantle structure and dynamics. First, it has been proposed that the large igneous provinces (LIPs) and kimberlite volcanism erupted mainly along the edges of the two major seismically slow anomalies above the core-mantle boundary (often referred to as the Africa and Pacific LLSVPs) (Torsvik et al, 2010). This has led to the proposal that the present-day degree-2 mantle structure has existed for >500 Ma (Torsvik et al., 2014), although its statistical significance has been challenged (Austermann et al., 2013). The proposals of the spatially stable Africa and Pacific LLSVPs and of the LIP eruptions along their edges have also been exploited in attempts to build global plate motion models since the Pangea assembly by providing a plate motion reference frame or inferring true polar wander (TPW) corrections to the plate motions (Torsvik et al., 2014). Second, mantle dynamics studies indicate that degree-1 mantle convection, which is expected with realistic lithospheric and mantle viscosity, may be needed for assembly of a supercontinent (e.g., Pangea) (Zhong et al., 2007). This suggests that the present degree-2 mantle structure may have been formed only after the Pangea assembly from an initially degree-1 structure - a scenario that is consistent with convection calculations with a proxy plate motion model that considers Pangea process (Zhang et al., 2010). In this presentation, in addition to critically reviewing these arguments, we will discuss calculations of long-wavelength geoid for the mantle with thermochemical piles and LLSVPs and their potential effects on TPW determinations and hence reconstruction of plate motion (i.e., net lithospheric rotation). We will also present additional calculations of mantle structure evolution using different plate motion history models.

Detection of Heart Sounds in Children with and without Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension―Daubechies Wavelets Approach

PubMed Central

Elgendi, Mohamed; Kumar, Shine; Guo, Long; Rutledge, Jennifer; Coe, James Y.; Zemp, Roger; Schuurmans, Dale; Adatia, Ian

2015-01-01

Background Automatic detection of the 1st (S1) and 2nd (S2) heart sounds is difficult, and existing algorithms are imprecise. We sought to develop a wavelet-based algorithm for the detection of S1 and S2 in children with and without pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Method Heart sounds were recorded at the second left intercostal space and the cardiac apex with a digital stethoscope simultaneously with pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP). We developed a Daubechies wavelet algorithm for the automatic detection of S1 and S2 using the wavelet coefficient ‘D 6’ based on power spectral analysis. We compared our algorithm with four other Daubechies wavelet-based algorithms published by Liang, Kumar, Wang, and Zhong. We annotated S1 and S2 from an audiovisual examination of the phonocardiographic tracing by two trained cardiologists and the observation that in all subjects systole was shorter than diastole. Results We studied 22 subjects (9 males and 13 females, median age 6 years, range 0.25–19). Eleven subjects had a mean PAP < 25 mmHg. Eleven subjects had PAH with a mean PAP ≥ 25 mmHg. All subjects had a pulmonary artery wedge pressure ≤ 15 mmHg. The sensitivity (SE) and positive predictivity (+P) of our algorithm were 70% and 68%, respectively. In comparison, the SE and +P of Liang were 59% and 42%, Kumar 19% and 12%, Wang 50% and 45%, and Zhong 43% and 53%, respectively. Our algorithm demonstrated robustness and outperformed the other methods up to a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 10 dB. For all algorithms, detection errors arose from low-amplitude peaks, fast heart rates, low signal-to-noise ratio, and fixed thresholds. Conclusion Our algorithm for the detection of S1 and S2 improves the performance of existing Daubechies-based algorithms and justifies the use of the wavelet coefficient ‘D 6’ through power spectral analysis. Also, the robustness despite ambient noise may improve real world clinical performance. PMID:26629704

Dynamical systems theory and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awrejcewicz, Jan

2006-08-01

The 7th International Conference devoted to "Dynamical Systems-Theory and Applications" hold in 8-11 December, 2003 in Łódź, Poland, and it was organized by the staff of Department of Automatics and Biomechanics of the Technical University of Łódź. It was financially supported by the Rector of the Technical University of Łódź and the Department of Education and Physical Culture of the Łódź City Hall. The members of the International Scientific Committee included: Igor V. Andrianov (Dniepropetrovsk), Jan Awrejcewicz (Łódź), Iliya Blekhman (Sankt Petersburg), Roman Bogacz (Warszawa), Dick van Campen (Eindhoven), Zbigniew Engel (Kraków), Lothar Gaul (Stuttgart), Józef Giergiel (Kraków), Michał Kleiber (Warszawa), Vadim A. Krysko (Saratov), Włodzimierz Kurnik (Warszawa), Claude-Henri Lamarque (Lyon), Leonid I. Manevitch (Moscow), Jan Osiecki (Warszawa), Wiesaw Ostachowicz (Gdańsk), Ladislav Pust (Prague), Giuseppe Rega (Rome), Tsuneo Someya (Tokyo), Zbigniew Starczewski (Warszawa), Eugeniusz Świtoński (Gliwice), Andrzej Tylikowski (Warszawa), Tadeusz Uhl (Kraków), Aleksander F. Vakakis (Illinois), Józef Wojnarowski (Gliwice).

The earliest mollusc dominated seep fauna from the Early Jurassic of Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaim, Andrzej; Jenkins, Robert; Parent, Horacio; Garrido, Alberto; Moriya, Kazuhiro

2015-04-01

The earliest mollusc dominated seep fauna from the Early Jurassic of Argentina Andrzej Kaim, Robert G. Jenkins, Horacio Parent, Alberto C. Garrido The hydrocarbon seep deposits are known from Early Jurassic of Argentina since the report of Gomez-Perez (2003). The latter author identified very negative δ13C values (down to -33) and several fabrics typical for seep carbonates. Nevertheless she identified no macrofaunal assemblages apart from worm tubes. We re-visited the locality of Gomez-Perez (named here La Elina) and we were able to collect several molluscs associated with the seep carbonate. The most common and diversified are molluscs and worm tubes. We identified at least three species of gastropods, including the oldest-known species of neomphalids, lucinid and protobranch bivalves and numerous ammonoids. Unlike another known Early Jurassic seep from Oregon and the only Late Triassic seep (also from Oregon) there are no brachiopods associated with this seep. Therefore we consider the seep at La Elina as the oldest seep of modern aspect where the fauna is dominated by molluscs and not brachiopods.

Editorial.

PubMed

Dudek, Dominika; Sobański, Jerzy A; Klasa, Katarzyna

2015-01-01

Dear Readers, In no time, we are almost halfway through 2015. Currently many issues concern psychiatrists, and does not fill them with optimism: an uncertain future implementation of the National Mental Health Protection Programme, or the recent amendment of criminal law, entering into force on 01.07.2015, on the significant enlargement of implementation of treatment and precautionary measures in psychiatric institutions. Prof. J.K. Gierowski [1] wrote in Psychiatria Polska about the misunderstanding and even conflict in this matter, between politicians, lawyers and psychiatric community, almost one and a half year ago. Several tragic, dramatic events (German Wings plane crash, the recent murder in Tworki) creates a bad social attitude towards the mentally ill. Our environment does not remain indifferent and is actively involved in the discussion - it is expressed by Letters to Editor, written by Elwira Marszałkowska-Krześ and Andrzej Brodziak, published in the current issue of the magazine. We are all aware of our responsibility - on the one hand for a safe environment for patients while ensuring adequate treatment to the ill, and on the other for creating the image of psychiatry and psychiatrists [2, 3]. (...).

Confucian virtues and Chinese adolescent development: a conceptual review.

PubMed

Shek, Daniel T L; Yu, Lu; Fu, Xiao

2013-01-01

Despite the fact that different Chinese communities have already undergone industrialization and urbanization, Confucian virtues are still regarded as developmental ideals in Chinese culture. Unfortunately, while Confucian virtues are commonly discussed under Chinese philosophies, they are rarely examined in the context of developmental research. In this paper, several key Confucian virtues are discussed, including loyalty ("zhong"), filial piety ("xiao"), benevolence ("ren"), affection ("ai"), trustworthiness ("xin"), righteousness ("yi"), harmony ("he"), peace ("ping"), propriety ("li"), wisdom ("zhi"), integrity ("lian") and shame ("chi"). These Chinese traditional virtues are also linked to the concepts of character strengths and positive youth development constructs highlighted in Western culture. It is argued that Confucian virtues provide an indigenous conceptual framework to understand character strengths and positive youth development in Chinese culture. Furthermore, when service leadership is considered in Chinese contexts, these virtues should be regarded as important cornerstones.

Plant architecture and grain yield are regulated by the novel DHHC-type zinc finger protein genes in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

PubMed

Zhou, Bo; Lin, Jian Zhong; Peng, Dan; Yang, Yuan Zhu; Guo, Ming; Tang, Dong Ying; Tan, Xiaofeng; Liu, Xuan Ming

2017-01-01

In many plants, architecture and grain yield are affected by both the environment and genetics. In rice, the tiller is a vital factor impacting plant architecture and regulated by many genes. In this study, we cloned a novel DHHC-type zinc finger protein gene Os02g0819100 and its alternative splice variant OsDHHC1 from the cDNA of rice (Oryza sativa L.), which regulate plant architecture by altering the tiller in rice. The tillers increased by about 40% when this type of DHHC-type zinc finger protein gene was over-expressed in Zhong Hua 11 (ZH11) rice plants. Moreover, the grain yield of transgenic rice increased approximately by 10% compared with wild-type ZH11. These findings provide an important genetic engineering approach for increasing rice yields. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

No Lee-Wick fields out of gravity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rodigast, Andreas; Schuster, Theodor

2009-06-15

We investigate the gravitational one-loop divergences of the standard model in large extra dimensions, with gravitons propagating in the (4+{delta})-dimensional bulk and gauge fields as well as scalar and fermionic multiplets confined to a three-brane. To determine the divergences we establish a cutoff regularization which allows us to extract gauge-invariant counterterms. In contrast to the claim of a recent paper [F. Wu and M. Zhong, Phys. Rev. D 78, 085010 (2008).], we show that the fermionic and scalar higher derivative counterterms do not coincide with the higher derivative terms in the Lee-Wick standard model. We argue that even if themore » exact Lee-Wick higher derivative terms were found, as in the case of the pure gauge sector, this would not allow to conclude the existence of the massive ghost fields corresponding to these higher derivative terms in the Lee-Wick standard model.« less

Cycadophila, a new genus (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) inhabiting Cycas debaoensis (Cycadaceae) in Asia.

PubMed

Xu, Guang; Tang, William; Skelley, Paul; Liu, Nian; Rich, Stephen

2015-07-17

Asian species assigned to Pharaxonotha Reitter formed a separate clade from New World species of the genus and are distinguished on the basis of morphology and analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences. Cycadophila, new genus, is described based on a consideration of four Asian species in comparison with New World Pharaxonotha. This new genus includes two new species (Cycadophila debaonica new species and Cycadophila fupingensis new species) and two previously described species (Cycadophila nigra (Gorham) new combination and Cycadophila yunnanensis (Grouvelle) new combination). These latter two may represent species complexes. Lectotypes are designated for Thallis nigra Gorham and Pharaxonotha yunnanensis Grouvelle. Larvae of C. debaonica and C. fupingensis are described based on individuals collected on the cones of Cycas debaoensis Y. C. Zhong & C. J. Chen (Cycadaceae), a cycad native to Guangxi and Yunnan provinces, China.

A catalog of M-type star candidates in the LAMOST data release 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Jing; Lépine, Sébastien; Li, Jing; Chen, Li; Hou, Jinliang

2016-08-01

In this work, we present a set of M-type star candidates selected from the LAMOST DR1. A discrimination method with the spectral index diagram is used to separate M giants and M dwarfs. Then, we have successfully assembled a set of M giants templates from M0 to M6, using the spectra identified from the LAMOST spectral database. After combining the M dwarf templates in Zhong et al. (2015a) and the new created M giant templates, we use the M-type spectral library to perform the template-fit method to classify and identify M-type stars in the LAMOST DR1. A catalog of M-type star candidates including 8639 M giants and 101690 M dwarfs/subdwarfs is provided. As an additional results, we also present other fundamental parameters like proper motion, photometry, radial velocity and spectroscopic distance.

Design and Predictions for a High-Altitude (Low-Reynolds-Number) Aerodynamic Flight Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greer, Donald; Hamory, Phil; Krake, Keith; Drela, Mark

1999-01-01

A sailplane being developed at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center will support a high-altitude flight experiment. The experiment will measure the performance parameters of an airfoil at high altitudes (70,000 to 100,000 ft), low Reynolds numbers (200,000 to 700,000), and high subsonic Mach numbers (0.5 and 0.65). The airfoil section lift and drag are determined from pitot and static pressure measurements. The locations of the separation bubble, Tollmien-Schlichting boundary layer instability frequencies, and vortex shedding are measured from a hot-film strip. The details of the planned flight experiment are presented. Several predictions of the airfoil performance are also presented. Mark Drela from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology designed the APEX-16 airfoil, using the MSES code. Two-dimensional Navier-Stokes analyses were performed by Mahidhar Tatineni and Xiaolin Zhong from the University of California, Los Angeles, and by the authors at NASA Dryden.

CHIC - Coupling Habitability, Interior and Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noack, Lena; Labbe, Francois; Boiveau, Thomas; Rivoldini, Attilio; Van Hoolst, Tim

2014-05-01

We present a new code developed for simulating convection in terrestrial planets and icy moons. The code CHIC is written in Fortran and employs the finite volume method and finite difference method for solving energy, mass and momentum equations in either silicate or icy mantles. The code uses either Cartesian (2D and 3D box) or spherical coordinates (2D cylinder or annulus). It furthermore contains a 1D parametrised model to obtain temperature profiles in specific regions, for example in the iron core or in the silicate mantle (solving only the energy equation). The 2D/3D convection model uses the same input parameters as the 1D model, which allows for comparison of the different models and adaptation of the 1D model, if needed. The code has already been benchmarked for the following aspects: - viscosity-dependent rheology (Blankenbach et al., 1989) - pseudo-plastic deformation (Tosi et al., in preparation phase) - subduction mechanism and plastic deformation (Quinquis et al., in preparation phase) New features that are currently developed and benchmarked include: - compressibility (following King et al., 2009 and Leng and Zhong, 2008) - different melt modules (Plesa et al., in preparation phase) - freezing of an inner core (comparison with GAIA code, Huettig and Stemmer, 2008) - build-up of oceanic and continental crust (Noack et al., in preparation phase) The code represents a useful tool to couple the interior with the surface of a planet (e.g. via build-up and erosion of crust) and it's atmosphere (via outgassing on the one hand and subduction of hydrated crust and carbonates back into the mantle). It will be applied to investigate several factors that might influence the habitability of a terrestrial planet, and will also be used to simulate icy bodies with high-pressure ice phases. References: Blankenbach et al. (1989). A benchmark comparison for mantle convection codes. GJI 98, 23-38. Huettig and Stemmer (2008). Finite volume discretization for dynamic viscosities on Voronoi grids. PEPI 171(1-4), 137-146. King et al. (2009). A Community Benchmark for 2D Cartesian Compressible Convection in the Earth's Mantle. GJI 179, 1-11. Leng and Zhong (2008). Viscous heating, adiabatic heating and energetic consistency in compressible mantle convection. GJI 173, 693-702.

Time Evolution of the Mantle Thermal Structure in the African Hemisphere Before and After the Formation of Pangea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, N.; Zhong, S.

2008-12-01

The present-day mantle structure is characterized by the African and Pacific superplumes surrounded by subduction slabs. This structure has been demonstrated to result from dynamic interaction between mantle convection and surface plate motion history in the last 120 Ma. With similar techniques, mantle structure has been constructed back to about 100 Ma ago. However, due to the lack in global plate motion reconstructions further back in time, mantle structure for earlier times is poorly understood, despite of their importance in understanding the continental tectonics and volcanisms. Zhong et al. (2007) suggested that the mantle structures alternate between spherical harmonic degrees-1 and -2 structures, modulated by supercontinent processes. In their model, a supercontinent forms in the hemisphere with cold downwellings, and after supercontinent formation, the cold downwellings are replaced with hot upwellings due to return flows associated with circum-supercontinent subduction. This model implies that the African superplume is younger than 330 Ma when Pangea was formed, which is supported by volcanic activities recorded on continents around Pangea time. By using paleomagnetic-geologically reconstructed continental motions between 500 and 200 Ma in a three-dimensional spherical models of mantle convection, this study, for the first time, investigates the time evolution of mantle structures in the African hemisphere associated with Pangea formation. We show that cold downwellings first develop in the mantle between the colliding Laurentia and Gondwana, and that the downwellings are then replaced by upwellings after the formation of Pangea and as circum-Pangea subduction is initiated, consistent with Zhong et al. (2007) and Li et al. (2008). We find that the return flows in response to the circum-Pangea subduction are responsible for the upwellings below Pangea. We also find that even if the mantle in the African hemisphere is initially occupied by hot upwellings, the cold downwellings associated with convergence between Laurentia and Gondwana would destroy the hot upwellings and cause the hemisphere to be cold. These results are insensitive to model parameters such as convective vigor, internal heating rate, and the plate motions in the oceanic hemisphere. We therefore suggest that the African superplume is younger than 330 Ma when Pangea was formed.

Effects of Post-harvest Storage Duration and Variety on Nutrient Digestibility and Energy Content Wheat in Finishing Pigs.

PubMed

Guo, P P; Li, P L; Li, Z C; Stein, H H; Liu, L; Xia, T; Yang, Y Y; Ma, Y X

2015-10-01

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of post-harvest storage duration and wheat variety on the digestibility and energy content of new season wheat fed to finishing pigs. Two wheat varieties (Shi and Zhong) were harvested in 2013 and stored in the warehouse of the Fengning Pig Experimental Base at China Agricultural University for 3, 6, 9, or 12 mo. For each storage period, 12 barrows were placed in metabolism crates and allotted to diets containing 1 of the 2 wheat varieties in a randomized complete block design. The experimental diets contained 97.34% wheat and 2.66% of a vitamin and trace mineral premix. With an extension of storage duration from 3 mo to 12 mo, the gross energy (GE) and crude protein (CP) of the wheat decreased by 2.0% and 12.01%, respectively, while the concentration of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and starch content increased by 30.26%, 19.08%, and 2.46%, respectively. Total non-starch polysaccharide, total arabinose, total xylose and total mannose contents decreased by 46.27%, 45.80%, 41.71%, and 75.66%, respectively. However, there were no significant differences in the chemical composition between the two wheat varieties with the exception of ADF which was approximately 13.37% lower in Shi. With an extension of storage duration from 3 mo to 12 mo, the digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME) content and the apparent total tract digestibility of GE, CP, dry matter, organic matter, ether extract, ADF and metabolizability of energy in wheat decreased linearly (p<0.01) by 5.74%, 7.60%, 3.75%, 3.88%, 3.50%, 2.47%, 26.22%, 27.62%, and 3.94%, respectively. But the digestibility of NDF changed quadratically (p<0.01). There was an interaction between wheat variety and storage time for CP digestibility (p<0.05), such that the CP digestibility of variety Zhong was stable during 9 mo of storage, while the CP digestibility of variety Shi decreased (p<0.05). In conclusion, the GE, DE, and ME of wheat was stable during the first 3 to 6 mo of post-harvest storage, and decreased during the following 6 to 12 mo of storage under the conditions of this study.

Committees and organizers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-07-01

Chairman:Jozef Spałek (Kraków) Program Committee:Stephen Blundell (Oxford), J Michael D Coey (Dublin), Dominique Givord (Grenoble), Dariusz Kaczorowski (Wrocław), Roman Micnas (Poznań), Marek Przybylski (Halle), Ludiwig Schultz (Dresden), Vladimir Sechovsky (Prague), Jozef Spałek (Kraków), Henryk Szymczak (Warszawa), Manuel Vázquez (Madrid) Publication Committee:Dariusz Kaczorowski, Robert Podsiadły, Jozef Spałek, Henryk Szymczak, Andrzej Szytuła Local committee:Maria Bałanda, Anna Majcher, Robert Podsiadły, Michał Rams, Andrzej Ślebarski, Krzysztof Tomala Editors of the Proceedings:Jozef Spałek, Krzysztof Tomala, Danuta Goc-Jagło, Robert Podsiadły, Michał Rams, Anna Majcher Plenary, semi-plenary and tutorial speakers:Ernst Bauer (Wien)Stephen Blundell (Oxford)J Michael D Coey (Dublin)Russell P Cowburn (London)Burkard Hillebrands (Kaiserslautern)Claudine Lacroix (Grenoble)Lluís Mañosa (Barcelona)María del Carmen Muñoz (Madrid)Bernard Raveau (Caen)Pedro Schlottmann (Tallahassee)Frank Steglich (Dresden)Oliver Waldmann (Freiburg) Invited speakers within symposia: R Ahuja (Uppsala)A Kirilyuk (Nijmegen) M Albrecht (Vienna)L Theil Kuhn (Roskilde) K Bärner (Göttingen)J Liu (Dresden) U Bovensiepen (Duisburg)G Lorusso (Modena) V Buchelnikov (Chelyabinsk)M M Maska (Katowice) B Chevalier (Bordeaux)Y Mukovskii (Moscow) O Chubykalo-Fesenko (Madrid)M Pannetier-Lecoeur (Saclay) A V Chumak (Kaiserslautern)G Papavassiliou (Athens) J M D Coey (Dublin)K R Pirota (Campinas) B Dabrowski (DeKalb)P Przyslupski (Warszawa) S Das (Aveiro)M Reiffers (Košice) A del Moral (Zaragoza)K Sandeman (London) V E Demidov (Muenster)D Sander (Halle) B Djafari-Rouhani (Lille)M Sawicki (Sendai/Warsaw) H A Dürr (Menlo Park)J Schaefer (Würzburg) J Fassbender (Dresden)H Schmidt (Wetzikon) J Fontcuberta (Barcelona)J Spałek (Kraków) V Garcia (Orsay)L Straka (Helsinki) J N Gonçalves (Aveiro)A Szewczyk (Warszawa) M E Gruner (Duisburg)Y Taguchi (Wako) G Gubbiotti (Perugia)A Thiaville (Orsay) S Hamann (Bochum)R Varga (Košice) U Hannemann (Dresden)P Vavassori (San Sebastian) L Havela (Prague)W Wulfhekel (Karlsruhe) O Heczko (Prague)M Yamashita (Sendai) B Hernando (Oviedo)R Zdyb (Lublin) O Isnard (Grenoble)A Zhukov (San Sebastián) Z Kąkol (Kraków)A K Zvezdin (Moscow) N-T H Kim-Ngan (Kraków) International Advisory Committee (2011): Dominique Givord, President (Grenoble)Ludwig Schultz, Former President (Dresden) Manfred Albrecht (Chemnitz)Burkard Hillebrands (Kaiserslautern) Agnés Barthélémy (Paris)Andrei Kirilyuk (Nijmegen) Roy Chantrell (York)Ron Jansen (Tsukuba) Russell Cowburn (London)Nicoleta Lupu (Iasi) Tomasz Dietl (Warszawa)Caroline A Ross (Cambridge, MA) Claudia Felser (Mainz)Stefano Sanvito (Dublin) Josef Fidler (Wien)Vladimir Sechovsky (Praha) Dino Fiorani (Roma)Roberta Sessoli (Firenze) Pietro Gambardella (Bellaterra)Jozef Spałek (Kraków) Alberto Guimarães (Rio de Janeiro)

COMMITTEES: SQM2008-International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter SQM2008-International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-04-01

Local Organising Committee Xiangzhou Cai (SINPA) Weiqin Chao (CCAST) Liewen Chen (SJTU) Jianping Cheng (Tsinghua University) Jinghua Fu (CCNU) Yuanning Gao (Tsinghua University) Xiaomei Li (CIAE) Zuotang Liang (Shandong University) Feng Liu (CCNU), Co-chair Yuxin Liu (PKU) Qing Wang (Tsinghua University) Qun Wang (USTC) Hushan Xu (IMP) Daicui Zhou (CCNU) Pengfei Zhuang (Tsinghua University), Co-chair Bingsong Zou (IHEP) International Advisory Committee Jörg Aichelin, Nantes Federico Antinori, Padova Tamás Biró, Budapest Peter Braun-Munzinger, GSI Jean Cleymans, Cape Town László Csernai, Bergen Timothy Hallman, BNL Huan Zhong Huang, UCLA Takeshi Kodama, Rio de Janeiro Carlos Lourenço, CERN Yu-Gang Ma, Shanghai Jes Masden, Aarhus Yasuo Miake, Tsukuba Berndt Müller, Duke Grazyna Odyniec, LBNL Helmut Oeschler, Darmstadt Johann Rafelski, Arizona Hans Georg Ritter, LBNL Karel Šafařík, CERN Jack Sandweiss, Yale George S F Stephans, MIT Horst Stöcker, Frankfurt Thomas Ullrich, BNL Nu Xu, LBNL William A Zajc, Columbia

Numerical simulations of motion-insensitive diffusion imaging based on the distant dipolar field effects.

PubMed

Lin, Tao; Sun, Huijun; Chen, Zhong; You, Rongyi; Zhong, Jianhui

2007-12-01

Diffusion weighting in MRI is commonly achieved with the pulsed-gradient spin-echo (PGSE) method. When combined with spin-warping image formation, this method often results in ghosts due to the sample's macroscopic motion. It has been shown experimentally (Kennedy and Zhong, MRM 2004;52:1-6) that these motion artifacts can be effectively eliminated by the distant dipolar field (DDF) method, which relies on the refocusing of spatially modulated transverse magnetization by the DDF within the sample itself. In this report, diffusion-weighted images (DWIs) using both DDF and PGSE methods in the presence of macroscopic sample motion were simulated. Numerical simulation results quantify the dependence of signals in DWI on several key motion parameters and demonstrate that the DDF DWIs are much less sensitive to macroscopic sample motion than the traditional PGSE DWIs. The results also show that the dipolar correlation distance (d(c)) can alter contrast in DDF DWIs. The simulated results are in good agreement with the experimental results reported previously.

Closed gateways--can neuroprotectants shield the retina in glaucoma?

PubMed

Velpandian, Thirumurthy

2010-01-01

Neuroprotection for glaucoma is a therapeutic approach that aims to prevent optic nerve damage or cell death. An appropriate drug that reaches an adequate concentration across the blood retinal barrier is expected to shield the retina in glaucoma. Several in vitro and in vivo attempts in experimental models indicate the possibility of successful neuroprotection. However, clinical trials might not show the same level of neuroprotection as a result of subtherapeutic concentrations of the drug in the eye. The study by Zhong et al. in this issue of Drugs in R&D could not attribute the observed improvement in visual field indices to any one of the individual active constituents of Erigeron breviscapus (vant.) Hand. Mazz. (EBHM). One of the major constituents of EBHM is scutellarin, which is known to have poor oral bioavailability and an unclear ability to penetrate inside the eye. Therefore, before recognizing EBHM as a neuroprotectant in glaucoma for further clinical studies and practice, its active constituents and their pharmacokinetics (systemic as well as ocular) need to be explored.

Confined Doping for Control of Transport Properties in Nanowires and Nanofilms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Jianxin; Stocks, G. Malcolm

2006-03-01

Doping, an essential element for manipulation of electronic transport in traditional semiconductor industry, is widely expected to play important role as well in control of transport properties in nanostructures. However, traditional theory of electronic disorder predicts that doping in one-dimensional and two-dimensional systems leads to carrier localization, limiting practical applications due to poor carrier mobility. Here, a novel concept is proposed that offers the possibility to significantly increase carrier mobility by confining the distribution of dopants within a particular region [1]. Thus, the doped nanostructure becomes a coupled system comprising a doped subsystem and a perfect crystalline subsystem. We showed that carrier mobility in such a dopped nanowire or a nanofilm exhibits counterintuitive behavior in the regime of heavy doping. In particular, the larger the dopant concentration the higher the carrier mobility; we trace this transition to the existence of quasi-mobility-edges in the nanowires and mobility edges in nanofilms. *J.X. Zhong and G.M. Stocks, Nano Lett., in press, (2005)

Alternative Electron-Transfer Channels Ensure Ultrafast Deactivation of Light-Induced Excited States in Riboflavin Binding Protein.

PubMed

Zanetti-Polzi, Laura; Aschi, Massimiliano; Amadei, Andrea; Daidone, Isabella

2017-07-20

Flavoproteins, containing flavin chromophores, are enzymes capable of transferring electrons at very high speeds. The ultrafast photoinduced electron-transfer (ET) kinetics of riboflavin binding protein to the excited riboflavin was studied by femtosecond spectroscopy and found to occur within a few hundred femtoseconds [ Zhong and Zewail, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2001, 98, 11867-11872 ]. This ultrafast kinetics was attributed to the presence of two aromatic rings that could transfer the electron to riboflavin: the side chains of tryptophan 156 and tyrosine 75. However, the underlying ET mechanism remained unclear. Here, using a hybrid quantum mechanical-molecular dynamics approach, we perform ET dynamics simulations taking into account the motion of the protein and the solvent upon ET. This approach reveals that ET occurs via a major reaction channel involving tyrosine 75 (83%) and a minor one involving tryptophan 156 (17%). We also show that the protein environment is designed to ensure the fast quenching of the riboflavin excited state.

Squeezing with a flux-driven Josephson parametric amplifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menzel, E. P.; Zhong, L.; Eder, P.; Baust, A.; Haeberlein, M.; Hoffmann, E.; Deppe, F.; Marx, A.; Gross, R.; di Candia, R.; Solano, E.; Ihmig, M.; Inomata, K.; Yamamoto, T.; Nakamura, Y.

2014-03-01

Josephson parametric amplifiers (JPA) are promising devices for the implementation of continuous-variable quantum communication protocols. Operated in the phase-sensitive mode, they allow for amplifying a single quadrature of the electromagnetic field without adding any noise. While in practice internal losses introduce a finite amount of noise, our device still adds less noise than an ideal phase-insensitive amplifier. This property is a prerequisite for the generation of squeezed states. In this work, we reconstruct the Wigner function of squeezed vacuum, squeezed thermal and squeezed coherent states with our dual-path method [L. Zhong et al. arXiv:1307.7285 (2013); E. P. Menzel et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 105 100401 (2010)]. In addition, we illuminate the physics of squeezed coherent microwave fields. This work is supported by SFB 631, German Excellence Initiative via NIM, EU projects SOLID, CCQED, PROMISCE and SCALEQIT, MEXT Kakenhi ``Quantum Cybernetics,'' JSPS FIRST Program, the NICT Commissioned Research, Basque Government IT472-10, Spanish MINECO FIS2012-36673-C03-02, and UPV/EHU UFI 11/55.

Magma explains low estimates of lithospheric strength based on flexure of ocean island loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buck, W. Roger; Lavier, Luc L.; Choi, Eunseo

2015-04-01

One of the best ways to constrain the strength of the Earth's lithosphere is to measure the deformation caused by large, well-defined loads. The largest, simple vertical load is that of the Hawaiian volcanic island chain. An impressively detailed recent analysis of the 3D response to that load by Zhong and Watts (2013) considers the depth range of seismicity below Hawaii and the seismically determined geometry of lithospheric deflection. These authors find that the friction coefficient for the lithosphere must be in the normal range measured for rocks, but conclude that the ductile flow strength has to be far weaker than laboratory measurements suggest. Specifically, Zhong and Watts (2013) find that stress differences in the mantle lithosphere below the island chain are less than about 200 MPa. Standard rheologic models suggest that for the ~50 km thick lithosphere inferred to exist below Hawaii yielding will occur at stress differences of about 1 GPa. Here we suggest that magmatic accommodation of flexural extension may explain Hawaiian lithospheric deflection even with standard mantle flow laws. Flexural stresses are extensional in the deeper part of the lithosphere below a linear island load (i.e. horizontal stresses orthogonal to the line load are lower than vertical stresses). Magma can accommodate lithospheric extension at smaller stress differences than brittle and ductile rock yielding. Dikes opening parallel to an island chain would allow easier downflexing than a continuous plate, but wound not produce a freely broken plate. The extensional stress needed to open dikes at depth depends on the density contrast between magma and lithosphere, assuming magma has an open pathway to the surface. For a uniform lithospheric density ρL and magma density ρM the stress difference to allow dikes to accommodate extension is: Δσxx (z) = g z (ρM - gρL), where g is the acceleration of gravity and z is depth below the surface. For reasonable density values (i.e. ρL = 3300 Kg/m3 and ρM = 2800 kg/m3) this 'magmatic yield stress' is 250 MPa at 50 km depth. Dikes accommodating flexing below Hawaii would be at most about 2 km wide. This amount of intrusion would significantly heat the lithosphere, leading to lower stress differences below the islands. Since Hawaii marks the highest magma flux on Earth today it seems that 'magma assisted flexure' offers a viable alternative to extremely weak lithospheric rheology as an explanation for low stresses below this load.

COMMITTEES: SQM 2007 - International Conference On Strangeness In Quark Matter SQM 2007 - International Conference On Strangeness In Quark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-04-01

Local Organising Committee Ivan Králik (IEP SAS, Košice) Vojtěch Petráček (Czechoslovakia Technical University, Prague) Ján Pišút (Comenius University, Bratislava) Emanuele Quercigh (CERN) Karel Šafařík (CERN), Co-chair Ladislav v Sándor (IEP SAS, Košice), Co-chair Boris Tomášik (Mateja Bela University, Banská Bystrica) Jozef Urbán (UPJŠ Košice) International Advisory Committee Jörg Aichelin, Nantes Federico Antinori, Padova Tamás Biró, Budapest Peter Braun-Munzinger, GSI Jean Cleymans, Cape Town László Csernai, Bergen Timothy Hallman, BNL Huan Zhong Huang, UCLA Sonja Kabana, Nantes Roy A Lacey, Stony Brook Carlos Lourenço, CERN Yu-Gang Ma, Shanghai Jes Masden, Aarhus Yasuo Miake, Tsukuba Berndt Müller, Duke Grazyna Odyniec, LBNL Helmut Oeschler, Darmstadt Jan Rafelski, Arizona Hans Georg Ritter, LBNL Jack Sandweiss, Yale George S F Stephans, MIT Horst Stöcker, Frankfurt Thomas Ullrich, BNL Orlando Villalobos-Baillie, Birmingham William A Zajc, Columbia

Preparative isolation and purification of seven main antioxidants from Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (Du-zhong) leaves using HSCCC guided by DPPH-HPLC experiment.

PubMed

Dai, Xingping; Huang, Qiong; Zhou, Boting; Gong, Zhicheng; Liu, Zhaoqian; Shi, Shuyun

2013-08-15

Seven antioxidants were purified from Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. leaves using HSCCC guided by DPPH-HPLC experiment. HSCCC was successfully used to separate target antioxidants by three runs with different solvent systems after D101 column chromatography fractionation. Ethyl acetate-n-butanol-water (1:2:3, v/v/v) was selected as the optimum solvent system to purify geniposidic acid. Ethyl acetate-ethanol-water (4:1:5, v/v/v) was used to isolate caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid. While three flavonoids, quercetin-3-O-sambubioside, rutin and isoquercitrin were purified by petroleum ether-ethyl acetate-methanol-water (1:5:1:5, v/v/v/v). The structures were identified by MS and NMR. Antioxidant activities were assessed, and compounds 2-7 showed strong antioxidant activities. This is the first report about separation of antioxidants from E. ulmoides leaves by HSCCC. The results indicated that the combinative methods using DPPH-HPLC and HSCCC could be widely applied for screening and isolation of antioxidants from complex extracts. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Establishment and characterization of a lactating dairy goat mammary gland epithelial cell line.

PubMed

Tong, Hui-Li; Li, Qing-Zhang; Gao, Xue-Jun; Yin, De-Yun

2012-03-01

To study milk synthesis in dairy goat mammary gland, we had established an in vitro lactating dairy goat mammary epithelial cell (DGMEC) line. Mammary tissues of Guan Zhong dairy goats at 35 d of lactation were dispersed and cultured in a medium containing epithelial growth factor, insulin-like growth factor-1, insulin transferrin serum, and fetal bovine serum. Epithelial cells were enriched by digesting with 0.25% trypsin repeatedly to remove fibroblast cells and were identified as epithelial origin by staining with antibody against cytokeratine 18. The DGMECs displayed monolayer, cobble-stone, epithelial-like morphology, and formed alveoli-like structures and island monolayer aggregates which were the typical characteristics of mammary epithelial cells. A one-half logarithmically growth curve and cytoplasmic lipid droplets in these cells were observed. In this paper, we also studied the lactating function of DGMECs. Results showed that DGMECs could secrete lactose and β-casein. Lactating function of the cells had no obvious change after 48 h treated by insulin, while prolactin could obviously raise the secretion of milk proteins and lactose.

Dam break analysis and flood inundation map of Krisak dam for emergency action plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juliastuti, Setyandito, Oki

2017-11-01

The Indonesian Regulation which refers to the ICOLD Regulation (International Committee on Large Dam required have the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) guidelines because of the dams have potential failure. In EAP guidelines there is a management of evacuation where the determination of the inundation map based on flood modeling. The purpose of the EAP is to minimize the risk of loss of life and property in downstream which caused by dam failure. This paper will describe about develop flood modeling and inundation map in Krisak dam using numerical methods through dam break analysis (DBA) using hydraulic model Zhong Xing HY-21. The approaches of dam failure simulation are overtopping and piping. Overtopping simulation based on quadrangular, triangular and trapezium fracture. Piping simulation based on cracks of orifice. Using results of DBA, hazard classification of Krisak dam is very high. The nearest village affected dam failure is Singodutan village (distance is 1.45 kilometer from dam) with inundation depth is 1.85 meter. This result can be used by stakeholders such as emergency responders and the community at risk in formulating evacuation procedure.

Comprehensive evaluation of power grid projects' investment benefits under the reform of transmission and distribution price

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yongli; Wang, Gang; Zuo, Yi; Fan, Lisha; Ling, Yunpeng

2017-03-01

On March 15, 2015, the Central Office issued the "Opinions on Further Deepening the Reform of Electric Power System" (Zhong Fa No. 9). This policy marks the central government officially opened a new round of electricity reform. As a programmatic document under the new situation to comprehensively promote the reform of the power system, No. 9 document will be approved as a separate transmission and distribution of electricity prices, which is the first task of promoting the reform of the power system. Grid tariff reform is not only the transmission and distribution price of a separate approval, more of the grid company input-output relationship and many other aspects of deep-level adjustments. Under the background of the reform of the transmission and distribution price, the main factors affecting the input-output relationship, such as the main business, electricity pricing, and investment approval, financial accounting and so on, have changed significantly. The paper designed the comprehensive evaluation index system of power grid projects' investment benefits under the reform of transmission and distribution price to improve the investment efficiency of power grid projects after the power reform in China.

Sensitive and reliable multianalyte quantitation of herbal medicine in rat plasma using dynamic triggered multiple reaction monitoring.

PubMed

Yan, Zhixiang; Li, Tianxue; Lv, Pin; Li, Xiang; Zhou, Chen; Yang, Xinghao

2013-06-01

There is a growing need both clinically and experimentally to improve the determination of the blood levels of multiple chemical constituents in herbal medicines. The conventional multiple reaction monitoring (cMRM), however, is not well suited for multi-component determination and could not provide qualitative information for identity confirmation. Here we apply a dynamic triggered MRM (DtMRM) algorithm for the quantification of 20 constituents in an herbal prescription Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang (BZYQT) in rat plasma. Dynamic MRM (DMRM) dramatically reduced the number of concurrent MRM transitions that are monitored during each MS scan. This advantage has been enhanced with the addition of triggered MRM (tMRM) for simultaneous confirmation, which maximizes the dwell time in the primary MRM quantitation phase, and also acquires sufficient MRM data to create a composite product ion spectrum. By allowing optimized collision energy for each product ion and maximizing dwell times, tMRM is significantly more sensitive and reliable than conventional product ion scanning. The DtMRM approach provides much higher sensitivity and reproducibility than cMRM. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Multiple Bioactive Constituents in Different Parts of Eucommia ulmoides Based on UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS Combined with PCA.

PubMed

Yan, Ying; Zhao, Hui; Chen, Cuihua; Zou, Lisi; Liu, Xunhong; Chai, Chuan; Wang, Chengcheng; Shi, Jingjing; Chen, Shuyu

2018-03-13

Eucommia ulmoides Oilv. (EU), also called Du-zhong, is a classical traditional Chinese medicine. Its bark, leaf, and male flower are all used for medicinal purposes, called Eucommiae Cortex (EC), Eucommiae Folium (EF), and Eucommiae Flos Male (EFM). In order to study the difference in synthesis and the accumulation of metabolites in different parts of EU, a reliable method based on ultra-fast liquid chromatography tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of a total of 21 constituents, including two lignans, 6 iridoids, 6 penylpropanoids, 6 flavonoids, and one phenol in the samples (EC, EF, and EFM). Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to evaluate and classify the samples according to the contents of these 21 constituents. All of the results demonstrated that the chemical compositions in EC, EF, and EFM were significantly different and the differential constituents (i.e., aucubin, geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid, pinoresinol-di- O -β-d-glucopyranoside, geniposide, cryptochlorogenic acid, rutin, and quercetin) were remarkably associated with sample classifications. The research will provide the basic information for revealing the laws of metabolite accumulation in EC, EF, and EFM from the same origin.

Model Fit to Experimental Data for Foam-Assisted Deep Vadose Zone Remediation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roostapour, A.; Lee, G.; Zhong, Lirong

2014-01-15

Foam has been regarded as a promising means of remeidal amendment delivery to overcome subsurface heterogeneity in subsurface remediation processes. This study investigates how a foam model, developed by Method of Characteristics and fractional flow analysis in the companion paper of Roostapour and Kam (2012), can be applied to make a fit to a set of existing laboratory flow experiments (Zhong et al., 2009) in an application relevant to deep vadose zone remediation. This study reveals a few important insights regarding foam-assisted deep vadose zone remediation: (i) the mathematical framework established for foam modeling can fit typical flow experiments matchingmore » wave velocities, saturation history , and pressure responses; (ii) the set of input parameters may not be unique for the fit, and therefore conducting experiments to measure basic model parameters related to relative permeability, initial and residual saturations, surfactant adsorption and so on should not be overlooked; and (iii) gas compressibility plays an important role for data analysis, thus should be handled carefully in laboratory flow experiments. Foam kinetics, causing foam texture to reach its steady-state value slowly, may impose additional complications.« less

COMMITTEES: SQM2009 - 14th International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter SQM2009 - 14th International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-04-01

Local Organizing Committee Takeshi Kodama Chair, UFRJ Jun Takahashi Co-chair, UNICAMP Ignácio Bediaga e Hickman CBPF Eduardo Fraga UFRJ Frederique Grassi USP Yogiro Hama USP Gastão Krein IFT Erasmo Madureira Ferreira UFRJ Marcelo G. Munhoz USP Fernando Navarra USP Sandra Padula IFT Alejandro Szanto de Toledo USP César Augusto Zen Vasconcellos UFRGS International Advisory Committee Jörg Aichelin Nantes Federico Antinori Padova Tamás Biró Budapest Peter Braun-Munzinger GSI Jean Cleymans Cape Town Láaszló Csernai Bergen Timothy Hallman BNL Huan Zhong Huang UCLA Takeshi Kodama Rio de Janeiro Yu-Gang Ma Shanghai Jes Madsen Aarhus Ágnes Mócsy Pratt University Berndt Müller Duke University Grazyna Odyniec LBNL Helmut Oeschler Darmstadt Johann Rafelski Arizona Hans Georg Ritter LBNL Gunther Rolland MIT Karel Šafařík CERN Ladislav Sandor Kosice University Jack Sandweiss Yale University George S F Stephans MIT Horst Stöcker Frankfurt Larry McLerranBNL Helmut Satz Universitä Bielefeld Nu Xu LBNL Fuqiang Wang Purdue University William A. Zajc Columbia University Pengfei Zhuang Tsinghua University

Generalization of the binary structural phase field crystal model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Nathan; Provatas, Nikolas

2017-10-01

Two improvements to the binary structural phase field crystal (XPFC) theory are presented. The first is an improvement to the phenomenology for modelling density-density correlation functions and the second extends the free energy of the mixing term in the binary XPFC model beyond ideal mixing to a regular solution model. These improvements are applied to study kinetics of precipitation from solution. We observe a two-step nucleation pathway similar to recent experimental work [N. D. Loh, S. Sen, M. Bosman, S. F. Tan, J. Zhong, C. A. Nijhuis, P. Král, P. Matsudaira, and U. Mirsaidov, Nat. Chem. 9, 77 (2017), 10.1038/nchem.2618; A. F. Wallace, L. O. Hedges, A. Fernandez-Martinez, P. Raiteri, J. D. Gale, G. A. Waychunas, S. Whitelam, J. F. Banfield, and J. J. De Yoreo, Science 341, 885 (2013), 10.1126/science.1230915] in which the liquid solution first decomposes into solute-poor and solute-rich regions, followed by precipitate nucleation of the solute-rich regions. Additionally, we find a phenomenon not previously described in the literature in which the growth of precipitates is accelerated in the presence of uncrystallized solute-rich liquid regions.

Crater Relaxation and Stereo Imaging of the Icy Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, C. B.; Beyer, R. A.; Nimmo, F.; Roberts, J. H.; Robuchon, G.

2010-12-01

Crater relaxation has been used as a probe of subsurface temperature structure for over thirty years, both on terrestrial bodies and icy satellites. We are developing and testing two independent methods for processing stereo pairs to produce digital elevation models, to address how crater relaxation depends on crater diameter, geographic location, and stratigraphic position on the icy satellites of Jupiter and Saturn. Our topographic profiles will then serve as input into two numerical models, one viscous and one viscoelastic, to allow us to probe the subsurface thermal profiles and relaxation histories of these satellites. We are constructing stereo topography from Galileo and Cassini image pairs using the NASA Ames Stereo Pipeline (Moratto et al. 2010), an automated stereogrammetry tool designed for processing planetary imagery captured from orbiting and landed robotic explorers on other planets. We will also be using the commercial program SOCET SET from BAE Systems (Miller and Walker 1993; 1995). Qualitatively, it is clear that there are large spatial variations in the degree of crater relaxation among Jupiter’s and Saturn’s satellites. However, our use of stereo topography will allow quantitative measures of crater relaxation (e.g. depth:diameter ratio or equivalent) to be derived. Such measures are essential to derive quantitative estimates of the heat fluxes responsible for this relaxation. Estimating how surface heat flux has varied with time provides critical constraints on satellite thermal (and orbital) evolution. Craters undergo viscous relaxation over time at a rate that depends on the temperature gradient and crater scale. We are investigating how the near-surface satellite heat flux varied in time and space, based on our crater relaxation observations. Once we have crater profiles from our DEMs, we use them as input to two theoretical approaches: a relatively simple (viscous) numerical model in which time-varying heat fluxes can be included, and a more sophisticated (viscoelastic) one in which the temperature structure is fixed. The first follows the formulation of Grimm and Solomon (1988), and is a relatively simple Newtonian viscous relaxation model, in which the temperature and viscosity fields can evolve with time. The second is a more complicated spherical viscoelastic model, in which the temperature field is fixed (Zhong et al. 2003). The viscous model is suitable for rapid exploration of parameter space, while the viscoelastic will be used for more detailed investigation of selected parameter combinations. References: Grimm, R.E., and S.C. Solomon, J. Geophys. Res. 93, 11911-11929, 1988. Miller, S.B., and Walker, A.S., 1993. ACSM/ASPRS Annual Conv. 3, 256-263. Miller, S.B., and Walker, A.S., 1995. Z. Phot. Fern. 63(1), 4-16. Moratto, Z. M., et al., LPSC 41, abstract #2364, 2010. Zhong, S.J., et al., 2003. G.J.Int. 155, 679-695. Acknowledgments: This work is funded by NASA’s Outer Planets Research program.

An important rule for realizing metal → half-metal → semiconductor transition in single-molecule junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Jing; Chen, Ke-Qiu; Long, Mengqiu

2017-06-01

Recently, Zhong et al (2015 Nano Lett. 15 8091) found that two additional hydrogen atoms can be adsorbed to the opposite aza-bridging nitrogen atoms of the manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc) macrocycle when exposed to H2. Thus the symmetry of the MnPc molecule is changed from 4-fold to 2-fold. Motivated by this recent experiment, we theoretically investigate a MnPc-based single-molecule junction in this work and propose a simple and reliable way to realize the transition of its electronic properties. On the basis of spin-polarized density-functional theory calculations combined with the Keldysh nonequilibrium Green’s technique, we find that the gradual hydrogenation in MnPc molecules gives rise to the changes of the hardness of the electron density and spin-selective orbital decoupling, which eventually leads to the realization of the first ever metal  →  half-metal  →  semiconductor transition behavior in single-molecule junctions. Analysis of molecular projected self-consistent Hamiltonian, Mulliken population, and local density of states also reveals an important rule for realizing this transition behavior. Our research confirms that the hydrogenation of MnPc molecules can realize various molecular functionalities in unitary material background.

First-Principles calculations of Piezoelectricity and Polarization Rotation in Pb(Zr_0.5Ti_0.5)O_3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Zhigang; Krakauer, Henry

2002-03-01

Recent experimental and theoretical work [1-3] indicates that polarization rotation via a monoclinic phase at the morphotropic phase boundary in PZT [1-3] is responsible for its large piezoelectric response. We investigate this using the first-principles LAPW+LO method within the local density functional approximation. Calculated internal coordinates of monoclinic PZT(50/50) are in good agreement with PZT(52/48) experimental data [4]. Bulk spontaneous polarization and piezoelectric stress tensor elements of chemically ordered PbZr_1/2Ti_1/2O3 (PZT 50/50) are determined from relaxed ground-state Berry's phase calculations while constraining the symmetry to monoclinic Cm. Large piezoelectric response is found as the polarization rotates within the Cm mirror plane. These first-principles results show that polarization rotation can explain the large measured piezoelectric constants in ceramic PZT. * Supported by ONR. [1] H. Fu and Cohen, Nature 403, 281 (2000). [2] B. Noheda, D.E. Cox, G. Shirane, S-E. Park, L.E. Cross and Z. Zhong Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 3891 (2001). [3] L. Bellaiche, A. Garcia and D. Vanderbilt, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 5427 (2000). [4] B. Noheda, J.A. Gonzalo, L.E. Cross, R. Guo, S.-E. Park, D.E. Cox and G. Shirane, Phys. Rev. B 61, 8687 (2000).

A comparison of serotonin neuromodulation of mouse spinal V2a interneurons using perforated patch and whole cell recording techniques

PubMed Central

Dietz, Shelby; Husch, Andreas; Harris-Warrick, Ronald M.

2012-01-01

Whole cell recordings (WCRs) are frequently used to study neuronal properties, but may be problematic when studying neuromodulatory responses, due to dialysis of the cell's cytoplasm. Perforated patch recordings (PPR) avoid cellular dialysis and might reveal additional modulatory effects that are lost during WCR. We have previously used WCR to characterize the responses of the V2a class of Chx10-expressing neurons to serotonin (5-HT) in the neonatal mouse spinal cord (Zhong et al., 2010). Here we directly compare multiple aspects of the responses to 5-HT using WCR and PPR in Chx10-eCFP neurons in spinal cord slices from 2 to 4 day old mice. Cellular properties recorded in PPR and WCR were similar, but high-quality PP recordings could be maintained for significantly longer. Both WCR and PPR cells could respond to 5-HT, and although neurons recorded by PPR showed a significantly greater response to 5-HT in some parameters, the absolute differences between PPR and WCR were small. We conclude that WCR is an acceptable recording method for short-term recordings of neuromodulatory effects, but the less invasive PPR is preferable for detailed analyses and is necessary for stable recordings lasting an hour or more. PMID:23060747

Chinese herbs for memory disorders: a review and systematic analysis of classical herbal literature.

PubMed

May, Brian H; Lu, Chuanjian; Lu, Yubo; Zhang, Anthony L; Xue, Charlie C L

2013-02-01

Text mining and other literature-based investigations can assist in identifying natural products for experimental and clinical research. This article details a method for systematically analyzing data derived from the classical Chinese medical literature. We present the results of electronic searches of Zhong Hua Yi Dian ("Encyclopaedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine"), a CD of 1000 premodern (before 1950) medical books, for single herbs, and other natural products used for dementia, memory disorders, and memory improvement. This review explores how the terminology for these disorders has changed over time and which herbs have been used more or less frequently, and compares the results from the premodern literature with the herbs indexed for memory disorders in a modern pharmacopoeia. The searches located 731 citations deriving from 127 different books written between ca. 188 ad and ca. 1920. Of the 110 different natural products identified, those most frequently cited for forgetfulness were yuan zhi (Polygala tenuifolia), fu shen (Poria cocos), and chang pu (Acorus spp.), all of which have been cited repeatedly over the past 1800 years and appear among the 31 herbs indexed in a modern pharmacopoeia. By providing a complete, hierarchically organized list of herbs for a specific disorder, this approach can assist researchers in selecting herbs for research. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Eucommia ulmoides Ameliorates Glucotoxicity by Suppressing Advanced Glycation End-Products in Diabetic Mice Kidney

PubMed Central

Do, Moon Ho; Hur, Jinyoung; Choi, Jiwon; Kim, Mina; Kim, Min Jung; Kim, Yoonsook; Ha, Sang Keun

2018-01-01

Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (EU), also known as Du-Zhong, is a medicinal herb commonly used in Asia to treat hypertension and diabetes. Despite evidence of the protective effects of EU against diabetes, its precise effects and mechanisms of action against advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effects of EU on AGEs-induced renal disease and explored the possible underlying mechanisms using streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. STZ-induced diabetic mice received EU extract (200 mg/kg) orally for 6 weeks. EU treatment did not change blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in diabetic mice. However, the EU-treated group showed a significant increase in the protein expression and activity of glyoxalase 1 (Glo1), which detoxifies the AGE precursor, methylglyoxal (MGO). EU significantly upregulated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression but downregulated that of receptor for AGE (RAGE). Furthermore, histological and immunohistochemical analyses of kidney tissue showed that EU reduced periodic acid–Schiff (PAS)-positive staining, AGEs, and MGO accumulation in diabetic mice. Based on these findings, we concluded that EU ameliorated the renal damage in diabetic mice by inhibiting AGEs formation and RAGE expression and reducing oxidative stress, through the Glo1 and Nrf2 pathways. PMID:29495397

Concurrent administration of anticancer chemotherapy drug and herbal medicine on the perspective of pharmacokinetics.

PubMed

Cheng, Yung-Yi; Hsieh, Chen-Hsi; Tsai, Tung-Hu

2018-04-01

With an increasing number of cancer patients seeking an improved quality of life, complementary and alternative therapies are becoming more common ways to achieve such improvements. The potential risks of concurrent administration are serious and must be addressed. However, comprehensive evidence for the risks and benefits of combining anticancer drugs with traditional herbs is rare. Pharmacokinetic investigations are an efficient way to understand the influence of concomitant remedies. Therefore, this study aimed to collect the results of pharmacokinetic studies relating to the concurrent use of cancer chemotherapy and complementary and alternative therapies. According to the National Health Insurance (NHI) database in Taiwan and several publications, the three most commonly prescribed formulations for cancer patients are Xiang-Sha-Liu-Jun-Zi-Tang, Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San and Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang. The three most commonly prescribed single herbs for cancer patients are Hedyotis diffusa, Scutellaria barbata, and Astragalus membranaceus. Few studies have discussed herb-drug interactions involving these herbs from a pharmacokinetics perspective. Here, we reviewed Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San, Long-Dan-Xie-Gan-Tang, Curcuma longa and milk thistle to provide information based on pharmacokinetic evidence for healthcare professionals to use in educating patients about the risks of the concomitant use of various remedies. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Eucommia ulmoides Ameliorates Glucotoxicity by Suppressing Advanced Glycation End-Products in Diabetic Mice Kidney.

PubMed

Do, Moon Ho; Hur, Jinyoung; Choi, Jiwon; Kim, Mina; Kim, Min Jung; Kim, Yoonsook; Ha, Sang Keun

2018-02-26

Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (EU), also known as Du-Zhong, is a medicinal herb commonly used in Asia to treat hypertension and diabetes. Despite evidence of the protective effects of EU against diabetes, its precise effects and mechanisms of action against advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effects of EU on AGEs-induced renal disease and explored the possible underlying mechanisms using streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. STZ-induced diabetic mice received EU extract (200 mg/kg) orally for 6 weeks. EU treatment did not change blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in diabetic mice. However, the EU-treated group showed a significant increase in the protein expression and activity of glyoxalase 1 (Glo1), which detoxifies the AGE precursor, methylglyoxal (MGO). EU significantly upregulated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression but downregulated that of receptor for AGE (RAGE). Furthermore, histological and immunohistochemical analyses of kidney tissue showed that EU reduced periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive staining, AGEs, and MGO accumulation in diabetic mice. Based on these findings, we concluded that EU ameliorated the renal damage in diabetic mice by inhibiting AGEs formation and RAGE expression and reducing oxidative stress, through the Glo1 and Nrf2 pathways.

On Einstein's Path, essays in honor of Engelbert Schucking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, Alex

This collection of essays in honor of Engelbert Schucking spans the gamut of research in general relativity and presents a lively and personal account of current work in the field. Contributions include: E.L. Schucking: Jordan, Pauli, Politics, Brecht... and a Variable Gravitational Constant J.L. Anderson: Thomson Scattering in an Expanding Universe A. Ashtekar & T.A. Schilling: Geometrical Formulation of Quantum Mechanics J. Baugh, D.R. Finkelstein, H. Saller, and Zhong Tang: General Covariance is Bose-Einstein Statistics S.L. Bazanski: The Split and Propagation of Light Rays in Relativity L. Bel: How to Define a Unique Vacuum in Cosmology P.G. Bergmann: EIH Theory and Noether's Theorem W.B. Bonnor: The Static Cylinder in General Relativity C.H. Brahns: Gravity and the Tenacious Scalar Field D. Brill: The Cavendish Experiment in General Relativity Y. Choquet-Bruhat: Wave Maps in General Relativity T. Damour: General Relativty and Experiment J. Ehlers: Some Developments in Newtonian Cosmology G.F.R. Ellis & H. van Elst: Deviation of Geodesics in FLRW Spacetime Geometries S. Frittelli & E.T. Newman: Poincar Pseudo-symmetries in Asymptotically Flat Spacetimes E.N. Glass: Taub Numbers and Asymptotic Invariants J.N. Goldberg: Second Class Constraints F.W. Hehl, A. Macias, E.W. Mielke, & Yu.N. Obukhov: On the Structure of the Energy-momentum and the Spin Currents in Dirac's Electron

Propagation of shock waves in elastic solids caused by cavitation microjet impact. II: Application in extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

PubMed

Zhong, P; Chuong, C J; Preminger, G M

1993-07-01

To better understand the mechanism of stone fragmentation during extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), the model developed in Part I [P. Zhong and C.J. Chuong, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 94, 19-28 (1993)] is applied to study cavitation microjet impingement and its resultant shock wave propagation in renal calculi. Impact pressure at the stone boundary and stress, strain at the propagating shock fronts in the stone were calculated for typical ESWL loading conditions. At the anterior surface of the stone, the jet induced compressive stress can vary from 0.82 approximately 4 times that of the water hammer pressure depending on the contact angles; whereas the jet-induced shear stress can achieve its maximum, with a magnitude of 30% approximately 54% of the water hammer pressure, near the detachment of the longitudinal (or P) wave in the solid. Comparison of model predictions with material failure strengths of renal calculi suggests that jet impact can lead to stone surface erosion by combined compressive and shear loadings at the jet impacting surface, and spalling failure by tensile forces at the distal surface of the stone. Comparing responses from four different stone types suggests that cystine is the most difficult stone to fragment in ESWL, as observed from clinical experience.

Direct assays of radiation-induced DNA base lesions in mammalian cells: Technical progress report, July 1, 1986--December 1, 1988

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wheeler, K.T. Jr.

1988-01-01

Our cesium irradiator was installed in April 1987 and has the capability of irradiating DNA solutions, cells and animals at dose rates from >60 Gy/min to <10/sup /minus/2/ Gy/min. By early summer all of the dosimetry and set-ups were established to perform this research. In may 1987, Dr. Krystyna Lesiak left to return to the National Institutes of Health. However, she has remained a collaborator over the past 1/1/2/ years. She has synthesized a large lot of ..cap alpha..-deoxyadenosine, isolated a large batch of both the R and S isomer of cyclodeoxyadenosine and has capped the ..cap alpha..-deoxyadenonsine for usemore » in a DNA synthesizer that uses phosphoramidite chemistry. In November 1987, Dr. Andrzej Surowiec joined our unit as a Visiting Research Assistant Professor. Dr. Surowiec has a MS degree in electrical engineering and did his Ph.D. in Biophysics studying the conductivity of DNA in dilute solution. He has been performing the helix-coil transition experiments. In November 1987, Dr. Steven Swarts also joined our unit as a Postdoctoral Fellow. He received his Ph.D. from Oakland University under Dr. Michael Sevilla with whom we have a collaboration studying the induction of base damage in hydrated DNA. Dr. Swarts has a strong background in spectroscopy and, therefore, was a key individual for determination of the limitations of the HPLC assays and the establishment of a GC/MS capability equivalent to Dr. M. Dizdaroglu at the National Bureau of Standards. 9 refs., 1 tab.« less

On the use of the stabilised Q1P0 element for geodynamical simulations and why this is a bad choice for buyoancy-driven flows.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thieulot, Cedric

2016-04-01

Many Finite Element geodynamical codes (Fullsack,1995; Zhong et al., 2000; Thieulot, 2011) are based on bi/tri­-linear velocity constant pressure element (commonly called Q1P0), because of its ease of programming and rather low memory footprint, despite the presence of (pressure) checker­board modes. However, it is long known that the Q1P0 is not inf­-sup stable and does not lend itself to the use of iterative solvers, which makes it a less­ than­ ideal candidate for high resolution 3D models. Other attempts were made more recently (Burstedde et al., 2013; Le Pourhiet et al., 2012) with the use of the stabilised Q1Q1 element (bi/tri­-linear velocity and pressure). This element, while also attractive from an implementation and memory standpoint, suffers a major drawback due to the artificial compressibility introduced by the polynomial projection stabilization. These observations have shifted part of the community towards the Finite Difference Method while the remaining part is now embracing inf­sup stable second­ order elements [May et al., 2015; Kronbichler,2012). Rather surprinsingly, a third option exists when it comes to first ­order elements in the form of the stabilised Q1P0 element, but virtually no literature exists concerning its use for geodynamical applications. I will then recall the specificity of the stabilisation and will carry out a series of benchmark experiments and geodynamical tests to assess its performance. While being shown to work as expected in benchmark experiments, the stabilised Q1P0 element turns out to introduce first-order numerical artefacts in the velocity and pressure solutions in the case of buoyancy-driven flows. Burstedde, C., Stadler, G., Alisic, L., Wilcox, L. C., Tan, E., Gurnis, M., & Ghattas, O. (2013). Large­scale adaptive mantle convection simulation. Geophysical Journal International, 192(3), 889­906. Fullsack, P. (1995). An arbitrary Lagrangian­Eulerian formulation for creeping flows and its application in tectonic models. Geophysical Journal International, 120(1), 1­23. Kronbichler, M., Heister, T., & Bangerth, W. (2012). High accuracy mantle convection simulation through modern numerical methods. Geophysical Journal International, 191(1), 12­29. Le Pourhiet, L., Huet, B., May, D. A., Labrousse, L., & Jolivet, L. (2012). Kinematic interpretation of the 3D shapes of metamorphic core complexes. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 13(9). May, D. A., Brown, J., & Le Pourhiet, L. (2015). A scalable, matrix­free multigrid preconditioner for finite element discretizations of heterogeneous Stokes flow. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 290, 496­523. Thieulot, C. (2011). FANTOM: Two­and three­dimensional numerical modelling of creeping flows for the solution of geological problems. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 188(1), 47­68. Zhong, S., Zuber, M. T., Moresi, L., & Gurnis, M. (2000). Role of temperature-dependent viscosity and surface plates in spherical shell models of mantle convection. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth (1978-2012), 105(B5), 11063­11082.

Are all ostracism experiences equal? A comparison of the autobiographical recall, Cyberball, and O-Cam paradigms.

PubMed

Godwin, Alexandra; MacNevin, Georgia; Zadro, Lisa; Iannuzzelli, Rose; Weston, Stephanie; Gonsalkorale, Karen; Devine, Patricia

2014-09-01

In the present study, we aimed to compare the primary-need depletion elicited by three common ostracism paradigms: autobiographical recall (e.g., Zhong & Leonardelli in Psychological Science 19:838-842, 2008), Cyberball (Williams, Cheung, & Choi in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 79:748-762, 2000), and O-Cam (Goodacre & Zadro in Behavior Research Methods 42:768-774, 2010). A total of 152 participants (52 males) were randomly allocated to one of the three paradigms, and their subsequent primary needs were measured (belonging, control, self-esteem, and meaningful existence). O-Cam was found to induce greater total primary-need depletion than did Cyberball and recall, which did not differ significantly from each other. Moreover, when examining the pattern of individual need depletion elicited by each paradigm, O-Cam was found to induce significantly greater depletion of belonging, control, and meaningful existence than did the recall paradigm, and significantly greater depletion of control and self-esteem than did Cyberball. No other comparisons were found to be significant, including the comparisons between the recall and Cyberball paradigms for each individual primary need. Collectively, the findings will assist ostracism researchers in making informed choices regarding (a) which paradigm is appropriate to implement with respect to their research aims, and (b) whether the interchangeable use of paradigms within a program of research is appropriate practice.

Examining the role of land motion in estimating altimeter system drifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leuliette, E. W.; Plagge, A. M.

2016-12-01

With the operational onset of Jason-3 and Sentinel-3 missions, the determination of mission-specific altimeter bias drift via the global tide gauge network is more crucial than ever. Here we extend previously presented work comparing the effect of vertical land motion (VLM) at tide gauges on derived drift for the combined TOPEX/Jason-1/Jason-2 dataset with the addition of Jason-3, and the combined Envisat/AltiKa record, as well as Sentinel-3 as data become available. Estimated drifts for each mission are considered using seven VLM estimations: (1) GPS-based methodology by King et al., 2012 [updated] at University of Tasmania; (2) GPS time series produced by JPL (http://sideshow.jpl.nasa.gov/post/series.html); the Université de La Rochelle's (3) ULR5 (Santamaria-Gomez 2012) and (4) ULR6; (5) GPS time series produced at the Nevada Geodetic Laboratory, and two versions using glacial isostatic adjustment: (6) those by Peltier et al. (2015) and (7) those by A, Wahr, and Zhong (2013). The drift estimates from the combined TOPEX/Jason dataset vary by 0.7 mm/year depending on the VLM estimate. The combined Envisat/AltiKa estimated drifts vary slightly less, more on the order of 0.5 mm/yr. In addition, we demonstrate the sensitivity of the drift estimates to tide gauge selection.

COMMITTEES: Quark Matter 2008 Organising and International Advisory Committees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-10-01

Organising Committee Madan M Aggarwal (Chandigarh) Jan-e Alam (Kolkata) Convener Arup Bandyopadhyay (Kolkata) Debades Bandyopadhyay (Kolkata) Rahul Basu (Chennai) Rakesh K Bhandari (Kolkata) Anju Bhasin (Jammu) Subhasis Chattopadhyay (Kolkata) Convener Sukalyan Chattopadhyay (Kolkata) Asis Chaudhuri (Kolkata) Premomoy Ghosh (Kolkata) Sanjay Ghosh (Kolkata) Sourendu Gupta (Mumbai) Muhammad Irfan (Aligarh) Durga P Mahapatra (Bhubaneswar) DAmruta Mishra (New Delhi) Ajit K Mohanty (Mumbai) Bedangadas Mohanty (Kolkata) Vaisali Naik (Kolkata) Tapan K Nayak (Kolkata) Convener Sudhir Raniwala (Jaipur) Sourav Sarkar (Kolkata) Bikash Sinha (Kolkata) Chair Dinesh Srivastava (Kolkata) Raghava Varma (Mumbai) Yogendra P Viyogi (Bhubaneswar)Co-chair International Advisory Committee R Aymar,Switzerland Jean Paul Blaizot, France Peter Braun Münzinger, Germany Igor M Dremin, Russia Kari Eskola, Finland Jens Jorgen Gaardhoje,Denmark Rajiv V Gavai, India Hans-Ake Gustaffson, Sweden Hans Gutbrod, Germany Miklos Gyulassy, USA Timothy Hallman, USA Hideki Hamagaki, Japan Tetsuo Hatsuda, Japan Huan-Zhong Huang, USA Barbara Jacak, USA Peter Jenni, Switzerland Taka Kajino, Japan Takeshi Kodama, Brazil T D Lee, USA Peter Levai, Hungary Luciano Maiani, Italy Larry McLerran, USA Berndt Müller, USA Guy Paic, Mexico Sibaji Raha, India Lodovico Riccati, Italy Hans Georg Ritter, USA Helmut Satz, Germany Jurgen Schukraft, Switzerland Yves Schutz, France Edward V Shuryak, USA Johanna Stachel, Germany Horst Stöcker, Germany Itzhak Tserruya, Israel Xin-Nian Wang, USA Bolek Wyslouch, USA Glenn R Young, USA William A Zajc, USA Wen-Long Zhan, China

[Deciphering the argots of the names of materia medica and its dosage in the Yi lin kou pu liu zhi mi shu (A Secret Medical Book of Six Therapies in Rhymes of Medical Professionals)].

PubMed

Zhou, Jian; Lin, Shiyi; Liu, Shijue

2014-11-01

Yi lin kou pu liu zhi mi shu (A Secret Medical Book of Six Therapies in Rhymes of Medical Professionals) was additionally compiled, supplemented and annotated by Zhou Sheng, a famous doctor of the Qing Dynasty, based on Yi lin kou pu (Rhymes of Medical Professionals) which was composed by Lu Qi. The book contains four volumes in total, dealing mainly with the miscellaneous diseases of internal medicine, as well as external medicine, gynecology, and pediatrics etc. The syndrome differentiation and treatment, prescriptions and medications in this book has its own characteristic with rather high academic value and practical significance. There were 20 drug names were deciphered by the argots, for instance, "you che" was the argot of golden thread, and "wu yue (May)" was the argot of medicinal evodia fruit, etc. In addition, the argots were often used to decipher numerals and quantifiers, for example, "su, qi, zi, qi, man" referring to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 respectively, and "huo, pu, xiang, feng, lai" referring to 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 respectively, and "qing","zhong","xi" referring to qian, liang and fen respectively. Hence, deciphering of these argots could help to understand and apply these prescriptions correctly.

Effect of Dai-kenchu-to (Da-Jian-Zhong-Tang) on the delayed intestinal propulsion induced by chlorpromazine in mice.

PubMed

Satoh, Kazuko; Kase, Yoshio; Yuzurihara, Mitsutoshi; Mizoguchi, Kazushige; Kurauchi, Kouji; Ishige, Atsushi

2003-05-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Dai-kenchu-to on chlorpromazine-induced hypoperistalsis in mice. Oral administration of Dai-kenchu-to (30-300 mg/kg) dose-dependently improved small intestinal and distal colonic propulsion decreased by chlorpromazine (3 mg/kg, p.o.). Although the improvement of small intestinal propulsion due to Dai-kenchu-to was partially inhibited by atropine (1 mg/kg, s.c.), this action was completely inhibited by the concomitant administration of lorglumide (10 mg/kg, i.p.), a CCKA receptor antagonist. The distal colonic propulsion-improving effect of Dai-kenchu-to was abolished by atropine (1 mg/kg, s.c.). When the effects of the respective components of Dai-kenchu-to were evaluated, oral administration of Zanthoxylum Fruit improved both delayed small intestinal and distal colonic propulsion caused by chlorpromazine. On the other hand, Malt Sugar was effective against only delayed small intestinal propulsion. The action of Zanthoxylum Fruit was completely inhibited by atropine (1 mg/kg, s.c.), and the effect of Malt Sugar was inhibited by lorglumide (10 mg/kg, i.p.). These results demonstrated that Dai-kenchu-to improves chlorpromazine-induced hypoperistalsis via cholinergic systems and that Zanthoxylum Fruit is the main contributor to this action of Dai-kenchu-to. In addition, endogenous CCK due to Malt Sugar may also contribute to this effect of Dai-kenchu-to.

Chiral magnetic effect in condensed matter systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Qiang; Kharzeev, Dmitri E.

2016-12-01

The chiral magnetic effect (CME) is the generation of electrical current induced by chirality imbalance in the presence of magnetic field. It is a macroscopic manifestation of the quantum chiral anomaly [S. L. Adler. Axial-vector vertex in spinor electrodynamics. Physical Review, 177, 2426 (1969), J. S. Bell and R. Jackiw. A PCAC puzzle: π 0 γγin the σ-model. Il Nuovo Cimento A, 60, 47-61 (1969)] in systems possessing charged chiral fermions. In quark-gluon plasma containing nearly massless quarks, the chirality imbalance is sourced by the topological transitions. In condensed matter systems, the chiral quasiparticles emerge in gapless semiconductors with two energy bands having pointlike degeneracies opening the path to the study of chiral anomaly [H. B. Nielsen and M. Ninomiya. The Adler-Bell-Jackiw anomaly and Weyl fermions in a crystal. Physics Letters B, 130, 389-396 (1983)]. Recently, these novel materials - so-called Dirac and Weyl semimetals have been discovered experimentally, are suitable for the investigation of the CME in condensed matter experiments. Here we report on the first experimental observation of the CME in a 3D Dirac semimetal ZrTe5 [Q. Li, D. E. Kharzeev, C. Zhang, Y. Huang, I. Pletikosić, A. V. Fedorov, R. D. Zhong, J. A. Schneeloch, G. D. Gu, and T. Valla. Chiral magnetic effect in ZrTe5. Nature Physics (2016) doi:10.1038/nphys3648].

RETRACTED: Association of the ACE I/D gene polymorphism with sepsis susceptibility and sepsis progression.

PubMed

Yang, Chun-Hua; Zhou, Tian-Biao

2015-12-01

This article has been included in a multiple retraction: Chun-Hua Yang and Tian-Biao Zhou Association of the ACE I/D gene polymorphism with sepsis susceptibility and sepsis progression Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314568521, first published on February 3, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314568521 This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors and the Publisher. After conducting a thorough investigation, SAGE found that the submitting authors of a number of papers published in the Journal of the Renin-Angiotensin Aldosterone System ( JRAAS) (listed below) had supplied fabricated contact details for their nominated reviewers. The Editors accepted these papers based on the reports supplied by the individuals using these fake reviewer email accounts. After concluding that the peer review process was therefore seriously compromised, SAGE and the journal Editors have decided to retract all affected articles. Online First articles (these articles will not be published in an issue) Wenzhuang Tang, Tian-Biao Zhou, and Zongpei Jiang Association of the angiotensinogen M235T gene polymorphism with risk of diabetes mellitus developing into diabetic nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314563426, first published on December 18, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314563426 Tian-Biao Zhou, Hong-Yan Li, Zong-Pei Jiang, Jia-Fan Zhou, Miao-Fang Huang, and Zhi-Yang Zhou Role of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors in radiation nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314563424, first published on December 18, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314563424 Weiqiang Zhong, Zongpei Jiang, and Tian-Biao Zhou Association between the ACE I/D gene polymorphism and T2DN susceptibility: The risk of T2DM developing into T2DN in the Asian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314566019, first published on January 26, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314566019 Tian-Biao Zhou, Xue-Feng Guo, Zongpei Jiang, and Hong-Yan Li Relationship between the ACE I/D gene polymorphism and T1DN susceptibility/risk of T1DM developing into T1DN in the Caucasian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314563425, first published on February 1, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314563425 Chun-Hua Yang and Tian-Biao Zhou Relationship between the angiotensinogen A1166C gene polymorphism and the risk of diabetes mellitus developing into diabetic nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314566221, first published on February 1, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314566221 Chun-Hua Yang and Tian-Biao Zhou Association of the ACE I/D gene polymorphism with sepsis susceptibility and sepsis progression Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314568521, first published on February 3, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314568521 Articles published in an issue Guohui Liu, Tian-Biao Zhou, Zongpei Jiang, and Dongwen Zheng Association of ACE I/D gene polymorphism with T2DN susceptibility and the risk of T2DM developing into T2DN in a Caucasian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System March 2015 16: 165-171, first published on November 14, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314557849 Weiqiang Zhong, Zhongliang Huang, Yong Wu, Zongpei Jiang, and Tian-Biao Zhou Association of aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) gene polymorphism with IgA nephropathy risk and progression of IgA nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System September 2015 16: 660-665, first published on August 20, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314524011.

RETRACTED: Relationship between the ACE I/D gene polymorphism and T1DN susceptibility/risk of T1DM developing into T1DN in the Caucasian population.

PubMed

Zhou, Tian-Biao; Guo, Xue-Feng; Jiang, Zongpei; Li, Hong-Yan

2015-12-01

The following article has been included in a multiple retraction: Tian-Biao Zhou, Xue-Feng Guo, Zongpei Jiang, and Hong-Yan Li Relationship between the ACE I/D gene polymorphism and T1DN susceptibility/risk of T1DM developing into T1DN in the Caucasian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314563425, first published on February 1, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314563425 This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors and the Publisher. After conducting a thorough investigation, SAGE found that the submitting authors of a number of papers published in the Journal of the Renin-Angiotensin Aldosterone System ( JRAAS) (listed below) had supplied fabricated contact details for their nominated reviewers. The Editors accepted these papers based on the reports supplied by the individuals using these fake reviewer email accounts. After concluding that the peer review process was therefore seriously compromised, SAGE and the journal Editors have decided to retract all affected articles. Online First articles (these articles will not be published in an issue) Wenzhuang Tang, Tian-Biao Zhou, and Zongpei Jiang Association of the angiotensinogen M235T gene polymorphism with risk of diabetes mellitus developing into diabetic nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314563426, first published on December 18, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314563426 Tian-Biao Zhou, Hong-Yan Li, Zong-Pei Jiang, Jia-Fan Zhou, Miao-Fang Huang, and Zhi-Yang Zhou Role of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors in radiation nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314563424, first published on December 18, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314563424 Weiqiang Zhong, Zongpei Jiang, and Tian-Biao Zhou Association between the ACE I/D gene polymorphism and T2DN susceptibility: The risk of T2DM developing into T2DN in the Asian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314566019, first published on January 26, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314566019 Tian-Biao Zhou, Xue-Feng Guo, Zongpei Jiang, and Hong-Yan Li Relationship between the ACE I/D gene polymorphism and T1DN susceptibility/risk of T1DM developing into T1DN in the Caucasian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314563425, first published on February 1, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314563425 Chun-Hua Yang and Tian-Biao Zhou Relationship between the angiotensinogen A1166C gene polymorphism and the risk of diabetes mellitus developing into diabetic nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314566221, first published on February 1, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314566221 Chun-Hua Yang and Tian-Biao Zhou Association of the ACE I/D gene polymorphism with sepsis susceptibility and sepsis progression Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System 1470320314568521, first published on February 3, 2015 doi: 10.1177/1470320314568521 Articles published in an issue Guohui Liu, Tian-Biao Zhou, Zongpei Jiang, and Dongwen Zheng Association of ACE I/D gene polymorphism with T2DN susceptibility and the risk of T2DM developing into T2DN in a Caucasian population Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System March 2015 16: 165-171, first published on November 14, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314557849 Weiqiang Zhong, Zhongliang Huang, Yong Wu, Zongpei Jiang, and Tian-Biao Zhou Association of aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) gene polymorphism with IgA nephropathy risk and progression of IgA nephropathy Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System September 2015 16: 660-665, first published on August 20, 2014 doi: 10.1177/1470320314524011.

Study on Hyperspectral Characteristics and Estimation Model of Soil Mercury Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jinbao; Dong, Zhenyu; Sun, Zenghui; Ma, Hongchao; Shi, Lei

2017-12-01

In this study, the mercury content of 44 soil samples in Guan Zhong area of Shaanxi Province was used as the data source, and the reflectance spectrum of soil was obtained by ASD Field Spec HR (350-2500 nm) Comparing the reflection characteristics of different contents and the effect of different pre-treatment methods on the establishment of soil heavy metal spectral inversion model. The first order differential, second order differential and reflectance logarithmic transformations were carried out after the pre-treatment of NOR, MSC and SNV, and the sensitive bands of reflectance and mercury content in different mathematical transformations were selected. A hyperspectral estimation model is established by regression method. The results of chemical analysis show that there is a serious Hg pollution in the study area. The results show that: (1) the reflectivity decreases with the increase of mercury content, and the sensitive regions of mercury are located at 392 ~ 455nm, 923nm ~ 1040nm and 1806nm ~ 1969nm. (2) The combination of NOR, MSC and SNV transformations combined with differential transformations can improve the information of heavy metal elements in the soil, and the combination of high correlation band can improve the stability and prediction ability of the model. (3) The partial least squares regression model based on the logarithm of the original reflectance is better and the precision is higher, Rc2 = 0.9912, RMSEC = 0.665; Rv2 = 0.9506, RMSEP = 1.93, which can achieve the mercury content in this region Quick forecast.

Superconductivity proximate to antiferromagnetism in a copper-oxide monolayer grown on Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 +δ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shuai; Zhang, Long; Wang, Fa

2018-01-01

A nodeless superconducting (SC) gap was reported in a recent scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiment of a copper-oxide monolayer grown on a Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 +δ (Bi2212) substrate [Zhong et al., Sci. Bull. 61, 1239 (2016), 10.1007/s11434-016-1145-4], which is in stark contrast to the nodal d -wave pairing gap in the bulk cuprates. Motivated by this experiment, we first show with first-principles calculations that the tetragonal CuO (T-CuO) monolayer on the Bi2212 substrate is more stable than the commonly postulated CuO2 structure. The T-CuO monolayer is composed of two CuO2 layers sharing the same O atoms. The band structure is obtained by first-principles calculations, and its strong electron correlation is treated with the renormalized mean-field theory. We argue that one CuO2 sublattice is hole doped while the other sublattice remains half filled and may have antiferromagnetic (AF) order. The doped Cu sublattice can show d -wave SC; however, its proximity to the AF Cu sublattice induces a spin-dependent hopping, which splits the Fermi surface and may lead to a full SC gap. Therefore, the nodeless SC gap observed in the experiment could be accounted for by the d -wave SC proximity to an AF order, thus it is extrinsic rather than intrinsic to the CuO2 layers.

Cryogenic helium gas convection research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behringer, Robert P.; Donnelly, Russell J.; McAshan, Michael; Maddocks, James; Sreenivasan, Katepalli; Swanson, Chris; Wu, Xaio-Zhong

1994-10-01

This is a report prepared by a group interested in doing research in thermal convection using the large scale refrigeration facilities available at the SSC Laboratories (SSCL). The group preparing this report consists of Michael McAshan at SSCL, Robert Behringer at Duke University, Katepalli Sreenivasan at Yale University, Xiao-Zhong Wu at Northern Illinois University and Russell Donnelly at the University of Oregon, who served as Editor for this report. This study reports the research and development opportunities in such a project, the technical requirements and feasibility of its construction and operation, and the costs associated with the needed facilities and support activities. The facility will be a unique national resource for studies of high-Reynolds-number and high-Rayleigh-number and high Rayleigh number turbulence phenomena, and is one of the six items determined as suitable for potential funding through a screening of Expressions of Interest. The proposed facility is possible only because of the advanced cryogenic technology available at the SSCL. Typical scientific issues to be addressed in the facility will be discussed. It devolved during our study, that while the main experiment is still considered to be the thermal convection experiment discussed in our original Expression of Interest, there are now a very substantial set of other, important and fundamental experiments which can be done with the large cryostat proposed for the convection experiment. We believe the facility could provide several decades of front-line research in turbulence, and shall describe why this is so.

Nanogenerators for Self-Powered Gas Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Zhen; Shen, Qingqing; Sun, Xuhui

2017-10-01

Looking toward world technology trends over the next few decades, self-powered sensing networks are a key field of technological and economic driver for global industries. Since 2006, Zhong Lin Wang's group has proposed a novel concept of nanogenerators (NGs), including piezoelectric nanogenerator and triboelectric nanogenerator, which could convert a mechanical trigger into an electric output. Considering motion ubiquitously exists in the surrounding environment and for any most common materials used every day, NGs could be inherently served as an energy source for our daily increasing requirements or as one of self-powered environmental sensors. In this regard, by coupling the piezoelectric or triboelectric properties with semiconducting gas sensing characterization, a new research field of self-powered gas sensing has been proposed. Recent works have shown promising concept to realize NG-based self-powered gas sensors that are capable of detecting gas environment without the need of external power sources to activate the gas sensors or to actively generate a readout signal. Compared with conventional sensors, these self-powered gas sensors keep the approximate performance. Meanwhile, these sensors drastically reduce power consumption and additionally reduce the required space for integration, which are significantly suitable for the wearable devices. This paper gives a brief summary about the establishment and latest progress in the fundamental principle, updated progress and potential applications of NG-based self-powered gas sensing system. The development trend in this field is envisaged, and the basic configurations are also introduced.

2K09 and thereafter : the coming era of integrative bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing for functional genomics and personalized medicine research.

PubMed

Yang, Jack Y; Niemierko, Andrzej; Bajcsy, Ruzena; Xu, Dong; Athey, Brian D; Zhang, Aidong; Ersoy, Okan K; Li, Guo-Zheng; Borodovsky, Mark; Zhang, Joe C; Arabnia, Hamid R; Deng, Youping; Dunker, A Keith; Liu, Yunlong; Ghafoor, Arif

2010-12-01

Significant interest exists in establishing synergistic research in bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing. Supported by the United States National Science Foundation (NSF), International Society of Intelligent Biological Medicine (http://www.ISIBM.org), International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design (IJCBDD) and International Journal of Functional Informatics and Personalized Medicine, the ISIBM International Joint Conferences on Bioinformatics, Systems Biology and Intelligent Computing (ISIBM IJCBS 2009) attracted more than 300 papers and 400 researchers and medical doctors world-wide. It was the only inter/multidisciplinary conference aimed to promote synergistic research and education in bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing. The conference committee was very grateful for the valuable advice and suggestions from honorary chairs, steering committee members and scientific leaders including Dr. Michael S. Waterman (USC, Member of United States National Academy of Sciences), Dr. Chih-Ming Ho (UCLA, Member of United States National Academy of Engineering and Academician of Academia Sinica), Dr. Wing H. Wong (Stanford, Member of United States National Academy of Sciences), Dr. Ruzena Bajcsy (UC Berkeley, Member of United States National Academy of Engineering and Member of United States Institute of Medicine of the National Academies), Dr. Mary Qu Yang (United States National Institutes of Health and Oak Ridge, DOE), Dr. Andrzej Niemierko (Harvard), Dr. A. Keith Dunker (Indiana), Dr. Brian D. Athey (Michigan), Dr. Weida Tong (FDA, United States Department of Health and Human Services), Dr. Cathy H. Wu (Georgetown), Dr. Dong Xu (Missouri), Drs. Arif Ghafoor and Okan K Ersoy (Purdue), Dr. Mark Borodovsky (Georgia Tech, President of ISIBM), Dr. Hamid R. Arabnia (UGA, Vice-President of ISIBM), and other scientific leaders. The committee presented the 2009 ISIBM Outstanding Achievement Awards to Dr. Joydeep Ghosh (UT Austin), Dr. Aidong Zhang (Buffalo) and Dr. Zhi-Hua Zhou (Nanjing) for their significant contributions to the field of intelligent biological medicine.

2K09 and thereafter : the coming era of integrative bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing for functional genomics and personalized medicine research

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Significant interest exists in establishing synergistic research in bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing. Supported by the United States National Science Foundation (NSF), International Society of Intelligent Biological Medicine (http://www.ISIBM.org), International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design (IJCBDD) and International Journal of Functional Informatics and Personalized Medicine, the ISIBM International Joint Conferences on Bioinformatics, Systems Biology and Intelligent Computing (ISIBM IJCBS 2009) attracted more than 300 papers and 400 researchers and medical doctors world-wide. It was the only inter/multidisciplinary conference aimed to promote synergistic research and education in bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing. The conference committee was very grateful for the valuable advice and suggestions from honorary chairs, steering committee members and scientific leaders including Dr. Michael S. Waterman (USC, Member of United States National Academy of Sciences), Dr. Chih-Ming Ho (UCLA, Member of United States National Academy of Engineering and Academician of Academia Sinica), Dr. Wing H. Wong (Stanford, Member of United States National Academy of Sciences), Dr. Ruzena Bajcsy (UC Berkeley, Member of United States National Academy of Engineering and Member of United States Institute of Medicine of the National Academies), Dr. Mary Qu Yang (United States National Institutes of Health and Oak Ridge, DOE), Dr. Andrzej Niemierko (Harvard), Dr. A. Keith Dunker (Indiana), Dr. Brian D. Athey (Michigan), Dr. Weida Tong (FDA, United States Department of Health and Human Services), Dr. Cathy H. Wu (Georgetown), Dr. Dong Xu (Missouri), Drs. Arif Ghafoor and Okan K Ersoy (Purdue), Dr. Mark Borodovsky (Georgia Tech, President of ISIBM), Dr. Hamid R. Arabnia (UGA, Vice-President of ISIBM), and other scientific leaders. The committee presented the 2009 ISIBM Outstanding Achievement Awards to Dr. Joydeep Ghosh (UT Austin), Dr. Aidong Zhang (Buffalo) and Dr. Zhi-Hua Zhou (Nanjing) for their significant contributions to the field of intelligent biological medicine. PMID:21143775

A Clinical Reasoning Tool for Virtual Patients: Design-Based Research Study.

PubMed

Hege, Inga; Kononowicz, Andrzej A; Adler, Martin

2017-11-02

Clinical reasoning is a fundamental process medical students have to learn during and after medical school. Virtual patients (VP) are a technology-enhanced learning method to teach clinical reasoning. However, VP systems do not exploit their full potential concerning the clinical reasoning process; for example, most systems focus on the outcome and less on the process of clinical reasoning. Keeping our concept grounded in a former qualitative study, we aimed to design and implement a tool to enhance VPs with activities and feedback, which specifically foster the acquisition of clinical reasoning skills. We designed the tool by translating elements of a conceptual clinical reasoning learning framework into software requirements. The resulting clinical reasoning tool enables learners to build their patient's illness script as a concept map when they are working on a VP scenario. The student's map is compared with the experts' reasoning at each stage of the VP, which is technically enabled by using Medical Subject Headings, which is a comprehensive controlled vocabulary published by the US National Library of Medicine. The tool is implemented using Web technologies, has an open architecture that enables its integration into various systems through an open application program interface, and is available under a Massachusetts Institute of Technology license. We conducted usability tests following a think-aloud protocol and a pilot field study with maps created by 64 medical students. The results show that learners interact with the tool but create less nodes and connections in the concept map than an expert. Further research and usability tests are required to analyze the reasons. The presented tool is a versatile, systematically developed software component that specifically supports the clinical reasoning skills acquisition. It can be plugged into VP systems or used as stand-alone software in other teaching scenarios. The modular design allows an extension with new feedback mechanisms and learning analytics algorithms. ©Inga Hege, Andrzej A Kononowicz, Martin Adler. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (http://mededu.jmir.org), 02.11.2017.

Manifestations of Proprioception During Vertical Jumps to Specific Heights

PubMed Central

Struzik, Artur; Pietraszewski, Bogdan; Winiarski, Sławomir; Juras, Grzegorz; Rokita, Andrzej

2017-01-01

Abstract Artur, S, Bogdan, P, Kawczyński, A, Winiarski, S, Grzegorz, J, and Andrzej, R. Manifestations of proprioception during vertical jumps to specific heights. J Strength Cond Res 31(6): 1694–1701, 2017—Jumping and proprioception are important abilities in many sports. The efficiency of the proprioceptive system is indirectly related to jumps performed at specified heights. Therefore, this study recorded the ability of young athletes who play team sports to jump to a specific height compared with their maximum ability. A total of 154 male (age: 14.8 ± 0.9 years, body height: 181.8 ± 8.9 cm, body weight: 69.8 ± 11.8 kg, training experience: 3.8 ± 1.7 years) and 151 female (age: 14.1 ± 0.8 years, body height: 170.5 ± 6.5 cm, body weight: 60.3 ± 9.4 kg, training experience: 3.7 ± 1.4 years) team games players were recruited for this study. Each participant performed 2 countermovement jumps with arm swing to 25, 50, 75, and 100% of the maximum height. Measurements were performed using a force plate. Jump height and its accuracy with respect to a specified height were calculated. The results revealed no significant differences in jump height and its accuracy to the specified heights between the groups (stratified by age, sex, and sport). Individuals with a higher jumping accuracy also exhibited greater maximum jump heights. Jumps to 25% of the maximum height were approximately 2 times higher than the target height. The decreased jump accuracy to a specific height when attempting to jump to lower heights should be reduced with training, particularly among athletes who play team sports. These findings provide useful information regarding the proprioceptive system for team sport coaches and may shape guidelines for training routines by working with submaximal loads. PMID:28538322

Effects of Inhalable Microparticles of Seonpyejeongcheon-Tang in an Asthma Mouse Model: - Effects of Microparticles of SJT.

PubMed

Yang, Won-Kyung; Lee, Chul-Hwa; Kim, Min-Hee; Kim, Seung-Hyeong; Choi, Hae-Yoon; Yeo, Yoon; Park, Yang-Chun

2016-12-01

Allergic asthma generally presents with symptoms of wheezing, coughing, breathlessness, and airway inflammation. Seonpyejeongcheon-tang (SJT) consists of 12 herbs. It originated from Jeongcheon-tang (JT), also known as Ding-chuan-tang, composed of 7 herbs, in She-sheng-zhong-miao-fang. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of local delivery of SJT via inhalable microparticles in an asthma mouse model. Microparticles containing SJT were produced by spray-drying with leucine as an excipient. SJT microparticles were evaluated with respect to their aerodynamic properties, in vitro cytotoxicity, in vivo toxicity, and therapeutic effects on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma in comparison with orally-administered SJT. SJT microparticles provided desirable aerodynamic properties (fine particle fraction of 48.9% ± 6.4% and mass median aerodynamic diameter of 3.7 ± 0.3 μm). SJT microparticles did not show any cytotoxicity against RAW 264.7 macrophages at concentrations of 0.01 - 3 mg/mL. Inhaled SJT microparticles decreased the levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-17A, eotaxin and OVA-IgE in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in mice with OVA-induced asthma. These effects were verified by histological evaluation of the levels of infiltration of inflammatory cells and collagen, destructions of alveoli and bronchioles, and hyperplasia of goblet cells in lung tissues. The effects of SJT microparticles in the asthma model were equivalent to those of orally-administered SJT extract. This study suggests that SJT is a promising agent for inhalation therapy for patients with asthma.

Sun Yat-Sen (1866-1925), a man to cure patients and the nation - his early years and medical career.

PubMed

Ma, K W

1996-08-01

"The top physician cures the nation first, and then the people." This is a saying recorded in the Guo Yu, the ancient Chinese book of history. Another saying is that one may choose "To be either a good prime minister or a good doctor", by Fan Zhong-Yan (989-1052), a high official. Such sayings reflect the aspirations of many Chinese literary men in the past. This aspiration to high office had been particularly popular among the Confucian physicians since the eleventh century AD, underlining the point of view that the curing of patients by a good physician was just like a good prime minister administering a nation. Hence, many Confucian scholars and men of letters took medicine either as a career or as a charitable exercise as well as a way to fulfil filial piety for preserving themselves and their families, especially if they had failed to be a candidate for an official position. Quite a few officials also followed suit, especially when they experienced difficulties in their posts, like being demoted, or sacked. However, none of them had ever become head of the nation, or a revolutionary, or exerted so profound an influence upon the history of China as Sun Yat-Sen, who started his career as a physician, became a democratic revolutionary and overthrew the Qing monarchy and founded the republic, is not only unique in the history of China, but in the history of medicine as well. The year 1996 is the hundred and thirtieth anniversary of his birth. This article marks this occasion.

A generalized sound extrapolation method for turbulent flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Siyang; Zhang, Xin

2018-02-01

Sound extrapolation methods are often used to compute acoustic far-field directivities using near-field flow data in aeroacoustics applications. The results may be erroneous if the volume integrals are neglected (to save computational cost), while non-acoustic fluctuations are collected on the integration surfaces. In this work, we develop a new sound extrapolation method based on an acoustic analogy using Taylor's hypothesis (Taylor 1938 Proc. R. Soc. Lon. A 164, 476-490. (doi:10.1098/rspa.1938.0032)). Typically, a convection operator is used to filter out the acoustically inefficient components in the turbulent flows, and an acoustics dominant indirect variable Dcp‧ is solved. The sound pressure p' at the far field is computed from Dcp‧ based on the asymptotic properties of the Green's function. Validations results for benchmark problems with well-defined sources match well with the exact solutions. For aeroacoustics applications: the sound predictions by the aerofoil-gust interaction are close to those by an earlier method specially developed to remove the effect of vortical fluctuations (Zhong & Zhang 2017 J. Fluid Mech. 820, 424-450. (doi:10.1017/jfm.2017.219)); for the case of vortex shedding noise from a cylinder, the off-body predictions by the proposed method match well with the on-body Ffowcs-Williams and Hawkings result; different integration surfaces yield close predictions (of both spectra and far-field directivities) for a co-flowing jet case using an established direct numerical simulation database. The results suggest that the method may be a potential candidate for sound projection in aeroacoustics applications.

Higher order explicit symmetric integrators for inseparable forms of coordinates and momenta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lei; Wu, Xin; Huang, Guoqing; Liu, Fuyao

2016-06-01

Pihajoki proposed the extended phase-space second-order explicit symmetric leapfrog methods for inseparable Hamiltonian systems. On the basis of this work, we survey a critical problem on how to mix the variables in the extended phase space. Numerical tests show that sequent permutations of coordinates and momenta can make the leapfrog-like methods yield the most accurate results and the optimal long-term stabilized error behaviour. We also present a novel method to construct many fourth-order extended phase-space explicit symmetric integration schemes. Each scheme represents the symmetric production of six usual second-order leapfrogs without any permutations. This construction consists of four segments: the permuted coordinates, triple product of the usual second-order leapfrog without permutations, the permuted momenta and the triple product of the usual second-order leapfrog without permutations. Similarly, extended phase-space sixth, eighth and other higher order explicit symmetric algorithms are available. We used several inseparable Hamiltonian examples, such as the post-Newtonian approach of non-spinning compact binaries, to show that one of the proposed fourth-order methods is more efficient than the existing methods; examples include the fourth-order explicit symplectic integrators of Chin and the fourth-order explicit and implicit mixed symplectic integrators of Zhong et al. Given a moderate choice for the related mixing and projection maps, the extended phase-space explicit symplectic-like methods are well suited for various inseparable Hamiltonian problems. Samples of these problems involve the algorithmic regularization of gravitational systems with velocity-dependent perturbations in the Solar system and post-Newtonian Hamiltonian formulations of spinning compact objects.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of Cytokinin Oxidase/Dehydrogenase (CKX) Genes Reveal Likely Roles in Pod Development and Stress Responses in Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.).

PubMed

Liu, Pu; Zhang, Chao; Ma, Jin-Qi; Zhang, Li-Yuan; Yang, Bo; Tang, Xin-Yu; Huang, Ling; Zhou, Xin-Tong; Lu, Kun; Li, Jia-Na

2018-03-16

Cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenases (CKXs) play a critical role in the irreversible degradation of cytokinins, thereby regulating plant growth and development. Brassica napus is one of the most widely cultivated oilseed crops worldwide. With the completion of whole-genome sequencing of B. napus , genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the BnCKX gene family has become technically feasible. In this study, we identified 23 BnCKX genes and analyzed their phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, conserved motifs, protein subcellular localizations, and other properties. We also analyzed the expression of the 23 BnCKX genes in the B. napus cultivar Zhong Shuang 11 ('ZS11') by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), revealing their diverse expression patterns. We selected four BnCKX genes based on the results of RNA-sequencing and qRT-PCR and compared their expression in cultivated varieties with extremely long versus short siliques. The expression levels of BnCKX5-1 , 5-2 , 6-1 , and 7-1 significantly differed between the two lines and changed during pod development, suggesting they might play roles in determining silique length and in pod development. Finally, we investigated the effects of treatment with the synthetic cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) and the auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) on the expression of the four selected BnCKX genes. Our results suggest that regulating BnCKX expression is a promising way to enhance the harvest index and stress resistance in plants.

Nuclear Physics in a biological context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Discher, Dennis

2012-02-01

A solid tissue can be soft like fat or brain, stiff like striated muscle and heart, or rigid like bone -- and of course every cell has a nucleus that contributes in some way small or large to tissue mechanics. Indeed, nuclei generally exhibit rheology and plasticity that reflects both the chromatin and the nuclear envelope proteins called lamins, all of which change in differentiation. Profiling of tissue nuclei shows that the nuclear intermediate filament protein Lamin-A/C varies over 30-fold between adult tissues and scales strongly with micro-elasticity of tissue, while other nuclear envelope components such as Lamin-B exhibit small variations. Lamin-A/C has been implicated in aging syndromes that affect muscle and fat but not brain, and we find nuclei in brain-derived cells are indeed dominated by Lamin-B and are much softer than nuclei derived from muscle cells with predominantly Lamin-A/C. In vitro, matrix elasticity can affect expression of nuclear envelope components in adult stem cells, and major changes in Lamin-A/C are indeed shown to direct lineage with lower levels favoring soft tissue and higher levels promoting rigid tissue lineage. Further molecular studies provide evidence that the nucleus transduces physical stress. References: (1) J.D. Pajerowski, K.N. Dahl, F.L. Zhong, P.J. Sammak, and D.E. Discher. Physical plasticity of the nucleus in stem cell differentiation. PNAS 104: 15619-15624 (2007). (2) A. Buxboim, I. Ivanova, and D.E. Discher. Matrix Elasticity, Cytoskeletal Forces, and Physics of the Nucleus: how deeply do cells `feel' outside and in? Journal of Cell Science 123: 297-308 (2010).

Transcriptome profiling and digital gene expression analysis of sweet potato for the identification of putative genes involved in the defense response against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. batatas.

PubMed

Lin, Yuli; Zou, Weikun; Lin, Shiqiang; Onofua, Dennis; Yang, Zhijian; Chen, Haizhou; Wang, Songliang; Chen, Xuanyang

2017-01-01

Sweet potato production is constrained by Fusarium wilt, which is caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. batatas (Fob). The identification of genes related to disease resistance and the underlying mechanisms will contribute to improving disease resistance via sweet potato breeding programs. In the present study, we performed de novo transcriptome assembly and digital gene expression (DGE) profiling of sweet potato challenged with Fob using Illumina HiSeq technology. In total, 89,944,188 clean reads were generated from 12 samples and assembled into 101,988 unigenes with an average length of 666 bp; of these unigenes, 62,605 (61.38%) were functionally annotated in the NCBI non-redundant protein database by BLASTX with a cutoff E-value of 10-5. Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG), Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) annotations were examined to explore the unigenes' functions. We constructed four DGE libraries for the sweet potato cultivars JinShan57 (JS57, highly resistant) and XinZhongHua (XZH, highly susceptible), which were challenged with pathogenic Fob. Genes that were differentially expressed in the four libraries were identified by comparing the transcriptomes. Various genes that were differentially expressed during defense, including chitin elicitor receptor kinase 1 (CERK), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), WRKY, NAC, MYB, and ethylene-responsive transcription factor (ERF), as well as resistance genes, pathogenesis-related genes, and genes involved in salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathways, were identified. These data represent a sequence resource for genetic and genomic studies of sweet potato that will enhance the understanding of the mechanism of disease resistance.

Free and forced vibrations of a tyre using a wave/finite element approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waki, Y.; Mace, B. R.; Brennan, M. J.

2009-06-01

Free and forced vibrations of a tyre are predicted using a wave/finite element (WFE) approach. A short circumferential segment of the tyre is modelled using conventional finite element (FE) methods, a periodicity condition applied and the mass and stiffness matrices post-processed to yield wave properties. Since conventional FE methods are used, commercial FE packages and existing element libraries can be utilised. An eigenvalue problem is formulated in terms of the transfer matrix of the segment. Zhong's method is used to improve numerical conditioning. The eigenvalues and eigenvectors give the wavenumbers and wave mode shapes, which in turn define transformations between the physical and wave domains. A method is described by which the frequency dependent material properties of the rubber components of the tyre can be included without the need to remesh the structure. Expressions for the forced response are developed which are numerically well-conditioned. Numerical results for a smooth tyre are presented. Dispersion curves for real, imaginary and complex wavenumbers are shown. The propagating waves are associated with various forms of motion of the tread supported by the stiffness of the side wall. Various dispersion phenomena are observed, including curve veering, non-zero cut-off and waves for which the phase velocity and the group velocity have opposite signs. Results for the forced response are compared with experimental measurements and good agreement is seen. The forced response is numerically determined for both finite area and point excitations. It is seen that the size of area of the excitation is particularly important at high frequencies. When the size of the excitation area is small enough compared to the tread thickness, the response at high frequencies becomes stiffness-like (reactive) and the effect of shear stiffness becomes important.

Recent Patents of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Allergic Rhinitis.

PubMed

Hon, Kam L; Fung, Ching K; Leung, Alexander K C; Lam, Hung S; Lee, So L

2015-01-01

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common respiratory disease affecting both adults and children worldwide. Affected patients may experience nasal congestion/stuffiness, rhinorrhea (anterior and/or posterior), nasal/ nasopharyngeal itching and sneezing. Allergen avoidance is the principal step in the management. Nasal saline irrigation to remove allergen (s) in the nose is a useful adjunctive therapy in the management of moderate to severe AR. Symptomatic relief and improved quality of life may be achieved in the majority of patients with appropriate pharmacotherapy. Mild-to-moderate cases are usually managed with either an oral second generation antihistamine or an intranasal corticosteroid. More severe cases may require treatment with an intranasal corticosteroid in combination with various oral medications. Patients who require medications for more than 6 months per year or have intolerable side effects from pharmacotherapy can be considered for immunotherapy. A wide range of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) have also been proposed. This overview evaluates the evidence of use of CAM for AR. Some methods including acupuncture and herbal medicine have supportive evidence, but the efficacy of other CAM is controversial. Conversely, possible side effects of different modalities are often inadequately documented. The herbal formulae include Butterbur, Nigella sativa, Shi-Bi-Lin, Polyherbal formula, Grapeseed extract, Rosmarinic acid, Spirulina, Biminne, and Bhu-zhong-yi-qi-tong. Further research is needed to assess the efficacy and safety before they are employed in treating AR. This review article also discusses recent CAM patents for use in AR, which are exclusively traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) concoctions primarily for oral consumption but two as topical spray. Only 8 pertinent patents, all TCM compositions for treating AR and registered in 2014, were obtained. Description about their efficacy is impressive but objective outcome evaluation tools are lacking.

Lithotripter shock wave interaction with a bubble near various biomaterials.

PubMed

Ohl, S W; Klaseboer, E; Szeri, A J; Khoo, B C

2016-10-07

Following previous work on the dynamics of an oscillating bubble near a bio-material (Ohl et al 2009 Phys. Med. Biol. 54 6313-36) and the interaction of a bubble with a shockwave (Klaseboer et al 2007 J. Fluid Mech. 593 33-56), the present work concerns the interaction of a gas bubble with a traveling shock wave (such as from a lithotripter) in the vicinity of bio-materials such as fat, skin, muscle, cornea, cartilage, and bone. The bubble is situated in water (to represent a water-like biofluid). The bubble collapses are not spherically symmetric, but tend to feature a high speed jet. A few simulations are performed and compared with available experimental observations from Sankin and Zhong (2006 Phys. Rev. E 74 046304). The collapses of cavitation bubbles (created by laser in the experiment) near an elastic membrane when hit by a lithotripter shock wave are correctly captured by the simulation. This is followed by a more systematic study of the effects involved concerning shockwave bubble biomaterial interactions. If a subsequent rarefaction wave hits the collapsed bubble, it will re-expand to a very large size straining the bio-materials nearby before collapsing once again. It is noted that, for hard bio-material like bone, reflection of the shock wave at the bone-water interface can affect the bubble dynamics. Also the initial size of the bubble has a significant effect. Large bubbles (∼1 mm) will split into smaller bubbles, while small bubbles collapse with a high speed jet in the travel direction of the shock wave. The numerical model offers a computationally efficient way of understanding the complex phenomena involving the interplay of a bubble, a shock wave, and a nearby bio-material.

Extremely Efficient Multiple Electron-hole Pair Generation in Carbon Nanotube Photodiodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabor, Nathaniel

2010-03-01

The efficient generation of multiple electron-hole (e-h) pairs from a single photon could improve the efficiency of photovoltaic solar cells beyond standard thermodynamic limits [1] and has been the focus of much recent work in semiconductor nanomaterials [2,3]. In single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), the small Fermi velocity and low dielectric constant suggests that electron-electron interactions are very strong and that high-energy carriers should efficiently generate e-h pairs. Here, I will discuss observations of highly efficient generation of e-h pairs due to impact excitation in SWNT p-n junction photodiodes [4]. To investigate optoelectronic transport properties of individual SWNT photodiodes, we focus a laser beam over the device while monitoring the electronic characteristics. Optical excitation into the second electronic subband E22 ˜ 2 EGAP leads to striking photocurrent steps in the device I-VSD characteristics that occur at voltage intervals of the band gap energy EGAP/ e. Spatially and spectrally resolved photocurrent combined with temperature-dependent studies suggest that these steps result from efficient generation of multiple e-h pairs from a single hot E22 carrier. We conclude that in the SWNT photodiode, a single photon with energy greater than 2EGAP is converted into multiple e-h pairs, leading to enhanced photocurrent and increased photo-conversion efficiency. [1] W. Shockley, and H. J. Queisser, Journal of Applied Physics 32, 510 (1961). [2] R. D. Schaller, and V. I. Klimov, Physical Review Letters 92 (18), 186601 (2004). [3] R. J. Ellingson, et al, Nano Letters, 5 (5), 865-871 (2005). [4] Nathaniel M. Gabor, Zhaohui Zhong, Ken Bosnick, Jiwoong Park, and Paul McEuen, Science, 325, 1367 (2009).

Lithotripter shock wave interaction with a bubble near various biomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohl, S. W.; Klaseboer, E.; Szeri, A. J.; Khoo, B. C.

2016-10-01

Following previous work on the dynamics of an oscillating bubble near a bio-material (Ohl et al 2009 Phys. Med. Biol. 54 6313-36) and the interaction of a bubble with a shockwave (Klaseboer et al 2007 J. Fluid Mech. 593 33-56), the present work concerns the interaction of a gas bubble with a traveling shock wave (such as from a lithotripter) in the vicinity of bio-materials such as fat, skin, muscle, cornea, cartilage, and bone. The bubble is situated in water (to represent a water-like biofluid). The bubble collapses are not spherically symmetric, but tend to feature a high speed jet. A few simulations are performed and compared with available experimental observations from Sankin and Zhong (2006 Phys. Rev. E 74 046304). The collapses of cavitation bubbles (created by laser in the experiment) near an elastic membrane when hit by a lithotripter shock wave are correctly captured by the simulation. This is followed by a more systematic study of the effects involved concerning shockwave bubble biomaterial interactions. If a subsequent rarefaction wave hits the collapsed bubble, it will re-expand to a very large size straining the bio-materials nearby before collapsing once again. It is noted that, for hard bio-material like bone, reflection of the shock wave at the bone—water interface can affect the bubble dynamics. Also the initial size of the bubble has a significant effect. Large bubbles (˜1 mm) will split into smaller bubbles, while small bubbles collapse with a high speed jet in the travel direction of the shock wave. The numerical model offers a computationally efficient way of understanding the complex phenomena involving the interplay of a bubble, a shock wave, and a nearby bio-material.

The traditional Chinese medicine prescription patterns for migraine patients in Taiwan: a population-based study.

PubMed

Chang, Yu-Yun; Tsai, Yueh-Ting; Lai, Jung-Nien; Yeh, Chia-Hao; Lin, Shun-Ku

2014-02-12

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), when given for symptom relief, has gained widespread popularity among migraine patients. The aim of this study is to analyze the utilization of TCM among migraine patients in Taiwan. The usage, frequency of service, and the Chinese herbal products prescribed for migraine were evaluated using a representative sample of one million subjects selected at random from the 22 million beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance scheme of Taiwan. Overall, 89.3% (N=12,827) migraine patients utilized TCM and 24.2% of them sought TCM with the intention of treating their migraine-related symptoms. Migraine patients who are living in urban area and those with an episodic migraine pattern (<15 days/month) (aOR=3.18, 95% CI: 2.75-3.67) were more likely to be TCM users than those living in a rural area and those who suffered from chronic migraine (≥15 days/month) (aOR=1.00). Overall, 81.2% of TCM visits involved the prescription of a Chinese herbal remedy or remedies and Chuan-Xiong-Cha-Tiao-San, Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San, Ge-Gen-Tang, Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang, Ban-Xia-Bai-Zhu-Tian-Ma-Tang, Qing-Shang-Juan-Tong-Tang, Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang, Tian-Ma-Gou-Teng-Yin, Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang, and Tian-Wang-Bu-Xin-Dan were the ten most frequently prescribed formula for treating migraine based on syndrome differentiation. Chuan-Xiong-Cha-Tiao-San, which contains sedative and anti-inflammatory agents, is the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formula for the treatment of migraine-related phenomena. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The interfacial character of antibody paratopes: analysis of antibody-antigen structures.

PubMed

Nguyen, Minh N; Pradhan, Mohan R; Verma, Chandra; Zhong, Pingyu

2017-10-01

In this study, computational methods are applied to investigate the general properties of antigen engaging residues of a paratope from a non-redundant dataset of 403 antibody-antigen complexes to dissect the contribution of hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic, van der Waals contacts and ionic interactions, as well as role of water molecules in the antigen-antibody interface. Consistent with previous reports using smaller datasets, we found that Tyr, Trp, Ser, Asn, Asp, Thr, Arg, Gly, His contribute substantially to the interactions between antibody and antigen. Furthermore, antibody-antigen interactions can be mediated by interfacial waters. However, there is no reported comprehensive analysis for a large number of structured waters that engage in higher ordered structures at the antibody-antigen interface. From our dataset, we have found the presence of interfacial waters in 242 complexes. We present evidence that suggests a compelling role of these interfacial waters in interactions of antibodies with a range of antigens differing in shape complementarity. Finally, we carry out 296 835 pairwise 3D structure comparisons of 771 structures of contact residues of antibodies with their interfacial water molecules from our dataset using CLICK method. A heuristic clustering algorithm is used to obtain unique structural similarities, and found to separate into 368 different clusters. These clusters are used to identify structural motifs of contact residues of antibodies for epitope binding. This clustering database of contact residues is freely accessible at http://mspc.bii.a-star.edu.sg/minhn/pclick.html. minhn@bii.a-star.edu.sg, chandra@bii.a-star.edu.sg or zhong_pingyu@immunol.a-star.edu.sg. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Variability in response of lakes to climate change explained by surrounding watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Råman Vinnå, Love; Wüest, Alfred; Bouffard, Damien

2017-04-01

The consequences of climate change for inland waters have been shown to vary extensively not only globally, but also on a sub-regional scale [O'Reilly et al., 2015, GRL]. Local factors affecting heating include morphology [Toffolon et al., 2014, LO], irradiance absorption [Williamson et al., 2015, SR], local weather conditions and onset of stratification [Zhong et al., 2016, LO] as well as ice conditions [Austin and Colman, 2007, GRL]. However, inland waters are often a complex web of rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs. Thereby, to correctly assess and predict future changes in lakes/reservoirs due to climate change, it is important to consider the changes occurring in the surrounding watersheds and how they affect downstream waters. Here we evaluate the impact of climate change on rivers originating in the Swiss Alps (Aare and Rhône) and downstream located perialpine lakes (Lake Biel and Lake Geneva). We use regional predictions for air temperature increase and the subsequently expected shift in river discharge regime under the A1B emission scenario [Bey et al., 2011, CH2011; Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, 2012, CCHydro]. Focus is on predicting the changes in water temperature, particle content, stratification and deep water renewal rate using the 1D SIMSTRAT [Goudsmit et al., 2002, JGR] and Air2Stream [Toffolon and Piccolroaz, 2015, ERL] models. We show that the effect of tributaries on the reaction for downstream lakes to climate change are inversely proportional to the hydraulic residence time of the systems. We furthermore include known changes in anthropogenic thermal emissions, which in Lake Biel correspond to 2 decades of climate induced warming. Our results are put into context with future water utility plans in Lake Biel.

An Experimental Study of Penny-shaped Fluid-driven Cracks in an Elastic Matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stone, Howard

2015-11-01

When a pressurized fluid is injected into an elastic matrix, the fluid generates a fracture that grows along a plane and forms a fluid-filled disc-like shape. For example, such problems occur in various natural and industrial applications involving the subsurface of Earth, such as hydraulic fracturing operations. We report a laboratory study of such a fluid-driven crack in a gelatin matrix, study the crack shape as a function of time, and investigate the influence of different experimental parameters such as the injection flow rate, Young's modulus of the matrix, and fluid viscosity. We find that the crack radius increases with time as a power law, which has been predicted both for the limit where viscous effects in the flow along the crack opening control the rate of crack propagation, as well as the limit where fracture toughness controls crack propagation. We vary experimental parameters to probe the physical limits and highlight that for our typical parameters both effects can be significant. Also, we measure the time evolution of crack shape, which has not been studied before. The rescaled crack shapes collapse at longer times, based on an appropriate scaling argument, and again we compare the scaling arguments in different physical limits. The gelatin system provides a useful laboratory model for further studies of fluid-driven cracks, some of which we will mention as they are inspired by the physics of hydraulic fracturing. This work is part of the PhD thesis of Ching-Yao Lai and is a collaboration with Drs. Zhong Zheng and Jason Wexler (Princeton University) and Professor Emilie Dressaire (NYU). Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

EDITORIAL: Catalysing progress Catalysing progress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demming, Anna

2010-01-01

Examples of the merits of blue-sky research in the history of science are legion. The invention of the laser, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is an excellent example. When it was invented it was considered to be 'a solution waiting for a problem', and yet the level to which it has now infiltrated our day-to-day technological landscape speaks volumes. At the same time it is also true to say that the direction of research is also at times rightly influenced by the needs and concerns of the general public. Over recent years, growing concerns about the environment have had a noticeable effect on research in nanotechnology, motivating work on a range of topics from green nanomaterial synthesis [1] to high-efficiency solar cells [2] and hydrogen storage [3]. The impact of the world's energy consumption on the welfare of the planet is now an enduring and well founded concern. In the face of an instinctive reluctance to curtail habits of comfort and convenience and the appendages of culture and consumerism, research into renewable and more efficient energy sources seem an encouraging approach to alleviating an impending energy crisis. Fuel cells present one alternative to traditional combustion cells that have huge benefits in terms of the efficiency of energy conversion and the limited harmful emissions. In last week's issue of Nanotechnology, Chuan-Jian Zhong and colleagues at the State University of New York at Binghamton in the USA presented an overview of research on nanostructured catalysts in fuel cells [4]. The topical review includes insights into the interactions between nanoparticles and between nanoparticles and their substrate as well as control over the composition and nanostructure of catalysts. The review also serves to highlight how the flourishing of nanotechnology research has heralded great progress in the exploitation of catalysts with nanostructures ingeniously controlled to maximize surface area and optimize energetics for synthesis procedures. One man who was well aware of the role of nanostructured catalysts in the progress of material science research was the late Ulrich Gösele, director at the Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik Halle, who passed away at the age of 60 on 8 November, 2009. Ulrich Gösele published over 750 papers of premium calibre research that have collectively been cited over 20,000 times. His research output includes a cornucopia of excellent work published in Nanotechnology, amongst which are a number of papers detailing the deft manipulation of nanocatalysts to control the quality and structure of nanomaterials [5-8]. Ulrich Gösele was a pioneer in nanoscience. In 1991, when the nanotechnology revolution was little more than a portentous rumble, he published a seminal report examining the effect of quantum confinement on the optical properties of silicon nanowires [9]. While we lament the loss to the community, we have much to celebrate in the insights his legacy has provided for the progress of materials science. It would be unwise to assume that science will or can ultimately advance in such a way as to allow ample means to indulge an unrestrained appetite for consumerism and energy consumption. As with most things, a balanced approach, considering solutions to the problem from many angles, seems sensible. Nonetheless, a browse through the latest literature leaves much cause for optimism for the positive role science can play in improving and sustaining our lifestyle. References [1] Mukherjee P, Roy M, Mandal B P, Dey G K, Mukherjee P K, Ghatak J, Tyagi A K and Kale S P 2008 Nanotechnology 19 075103 [2] Greenham N C and Grätzel M 2008 Nanotechnology 19 420201 [3] Vajo J, Pinkerton F and Stetson N 2009 Nanotechnology 20 200201 [4] Zhong C-J, Luo J, Fang B, Wanjala B N, Njoki P N, Loukrakpam R and Yin J 2010 Nanotechnology 21 062001 [5] Sivakov V A, Scholz A, Syrowatka F, Falk F, Gösele U and Christiansen S H 2009 Nanotechnology 20 405607 [6] Liu L, Lee W, Huang Z, Scholz R and Gösele U 2008 Nanotechnology 19 335604 [7] Fan H J et al 2006 Nanotechnology 17 S231-9 [8] Stelzner Th et al 2006 Nanotechnology 17 2895-8 [9] Lehmann V and Gösele U 1991 Appl. Phys. Lett. 58 856-8

PREFACE: Preface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Chaohui; Wang, Zhong Lin; Zhou, Bingkun

2011-02-01

The 3rd International Photonics and OptoElectronics Meeting (POEM 2010) was held from November 2-5, 2011, in Wuhan, China. POEM takes place annually, usually in November, with the aim of focusing on the key techniques of scientific frontiers and industry in the field of optoelectronics, understanding future trends as well as making the most of the industrial advantages of Wuhan - Optics Valley of China (OVC). POEM 2010 presented a plenary session and six parallel sessions. The latter comprised Laser Technology and Applications; Nano-enabled Energy Technologies and Materials; Optoelectronic Devices and Integration; Optoelectronic Sensing and Imaging; Solar Cells, Solid State Lighting and Information Display Technologies; and Tera-Hertz Science and Technology. 700 delegates from the field of optoelectronics - including world-famous experts, researchers, investors and entrepreneurs from more than 20 countries - attended the conference, among whom were 160 invited speakers. POEM 2010 once again received extensive praise for its intricate planning, rich contents, and the high-level and influential invited speakers which it attracted. Participants remarked that the presentations by the invited experts, the 'hot topic' discussions, students' posters, and the awards for papers were very engaging. They appreciated this valuable and beneficial opportunity for exchanging ideas with top photonics and optoelectronics experts. Our thanks are extended to the Conference Secretariat and Local Organizing Committee, who have been completely dedicated to their work, and who made the conference such a great success. We are also grateful for the financial support from 111 Project (B07038), and for the help with organization and coordination from Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics and Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Proceedings of POEM 2010234 papers were selected out of the 343 manuscripts submitted. The organizers of POEM 2010 are grateful to all the authors whose papers are being published in this volume of the Journal of Physics: Conference Series. The proceedings are divided into six sections according to different technical areas: Laser Technology and Applications (LTA) Nano-enabled Energy Technologies and Materials (NETM) Optoelectronic Devices and Integration (OEDI) Optoelectronic Sensing and Imaging (OSI) Solar Cells, Solid State Lighting and Information Display Technologies (SSID) Tera-Hertz Science and Technology (THST) Wuhan, PR ChinaDecember, 2010 Chaohui YeZhong Lin WangBingkun ZhouConference Chairs The 3rd International Photonics and OptoElectronics Meeting (POEM 2010)November 2-5, 2010Wuhan, China Supporters:Ministry of Education of China (MOE)State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA)National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Sponsors:Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST)China Hubei Provincial Science Technology Department (HBSTD)Wuhan East Lake National Innovation Model Park Co-operating Societies:Institute of Physics (IOP)American Institute of Physics (AIP)International Biomedical Optics Society (IBOS)Laser Institute of America (LIA)Optical Society of America (OSA)IEEE Photonics Society (Singapore and Hongkong Chapters)Chinese Optical Society (COS) Organizer:Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (WNLO) 1. LASER TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS (LTA)Editors:Peixiang Lu, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Katsumi Midorikawa, Extreme Photonics Research Group, RIKEN (Japan)Bernd Wilhelmi, Jenoptik AG, Jena (Germany) 2. NANO-ENABLED ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND MATERIALS (NETM)Editors:Zhong Lin Wang, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China) and Georgia Institute of Technology (USA)Guozhen Shen, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China) 3. OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES AND INTEGRATION (OEDI)Editors:Chinlon Lin, Bell Laboratory (USA)Jesper Moerk, Technical University of Denmark (Denmark)Xun Li, McMaster University (Canada)Xinliang Zhang, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Junqiang Sun, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China) 4. OPTOELECTRONIC SENSING AND IMAGING (OSI)Editors:Kecheng Yang, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Pengcheng Li, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China) 5. SOLAR CELLS, SOLID-STATE LIGHTING AND INFORMATION DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES (SSID)Editors:Hiroshi Amano, Meijo University (Japan)Yibing Cheng, Monash University (Australia)Jinzhong Yu, Institute of Semiconductor, CAS (China)Changqing Chen, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Hongwei Han, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Guoli Tu, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China) 6. TERA-HERTZ SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (THST)Editors:Jianquan Yao, Tianjin University (China)Shenggang Liu, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (China)X C Zhang, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (USA)Jinsong Liu, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China) International Advisory Committee:Yibing Cheng, Monash University (Australia)Stephen Z D Cheng, University of Akron (USA)Min Gu, Swinburne University of Technology (Australia)Andrew B Holmes, the University of Melbourne (Australia)Chinlon Lin, Bell Laboratory (retired, USA)Xun Li, McMaster University (Canada)Shenggang Liu, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (China)Jesper Moerk, Technical University of Denmark (Denmark)Dennis L Matthews, University of California, Davis (USA)Jiacong Shen, Jilin University (China)Ping Shum, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)Chester C T Shu, Chinese University of Hong Kong (China)Valery V Tuchin, Saratov State University (Russia)Bruce Tromberg, University of California/Irvine (USA)Peiheng Wu, University of Nanjing (China)Alan Willner, University of Southern California (USA)Lihong Wang, Washington University in St. Louis (USA)C P Wong, Georgia Institute of Technology (USA)Jianquan Yao, Tianjin University (China)Xi Zhang, Tsinghua University (China)X C Zhang, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (USA) Program Committee:Qingming Luo, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China) - ChairHiroshi Amano, Meijo University (Japan)Yibing Cheng, Monash University (Australia)Peixiang Lu, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Ruxin Li, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (China)Chinlon Lin, Bell Laboratory (USA)Xun Li, McMaster University (Canada)Shenggang Liu, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (China)Katsumi Midorikawa, Extreme Photonics Research Group, RIKEN (Japan)Jesper Moerk, Technical University of Denmark (Denmark)Valery V Tuchin, Saratov State University (Russia)Lihong Wang, Washington University in St. Louis (USA)Zhong Lin Wang, Georgia Institute of Technology(USA)Jinzhong Yu, Institute of Semiconductor, CAS (China)Jianquan Yao, Tianjin University (China)X C Zhang, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (USA) Local Organizing committee:Lin Lin, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China) - ChairSheng Lu, Administration Committee of Wuhan East Lake Hi-tech Development Zone (China) - ChairChangqing Chen, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Ling Fu, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Hongwei Han, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Peixiang Lu, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Pengcheng Li, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Jinsong Liu, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Junqiang Sun, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Guozhen Shen, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Guoli Tu, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Kecheng Yang, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Xinliang Zhang, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Yuandi Zhao, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China) Local Secretariat:Xiaochun Xiao, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)Weiwei Dong, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)

[Study on characteristics of pharmacological effects of traditional Chinese medicines distributing along stomach meridian based on medicinal property combination].

PubMed

Zhang, Bai-Xia; Gu, Hao; Guo, Hong-Ling; Ma, Li; Wang, Yun; Qiao, Yan-Jiang

2014-07-01

At present, studies on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) properties are mostly restricted to a single or two kinds of medicinal properties, but deviated from the holism of the theoretical system of TCMs. In this paper, the characteristics of pharmacological effects of different property combinations of TCMs distributing in the stomach meridian were take as the study objective. The data of properties of TCMs distributing in the stomach meridian was collected from the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (2005). The data of pharmacological effects of TCMs distributing in the stomach meridian was collected from all of literatures recorded in Chinese Journal Full-text Database (CNKI) since 1980, Science of Chinese Materia Medica (Yan Zhenghua, People's Medical Publishing House, 2006) and Clinical Science of Chinese Materia Medica (Gao Xuemin, Zhong Gansheng, Hebei Science and Technology Publishing House, 2005). The corresponding pharmacological effects of property combinations of TCMs distributing in the stomach meridian was mined by the method of association rules. The results of the association rules were consistent with the empirical knowledge, and showed that different medicinal property combinations had respective pharmacological characteristics, including differences and similarities in pharmacological effects of different medicinal property combinations. Medicinal property combinations with identical four properties or five tastes showed similar pharmacological effects; whereas medicinal property combinations with different four properties or five tastes showed differentiated pharmacological effects. However, medicinal property combinations with different four properties or five tastes could also show similar pharmacological effects. In this study, the medicinal property theory and the pharmacological effects of TCMs were combined to reveal the main characteristics and regularity of pharmacological effects of TCMs distributing in the stomach meridian and provide a new way of thinking and method for revealing the mechanism action of TCMs distributing in the stomach meridian and discovering the pharmacological effects of TCMs distributing in the stomach meridian.

Effect of a variety of Chinese herbs and an herb-containing dentifrice on volatile sulfur compounds associated with halitosis: An in vitro analysis

PubMed Central

Li, Ming-yu; Wang, Jun; Xu, Zhu-ting

2010-01-01

Background: The principal components of halitosis are volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) such as hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and dimethylsulfide or compounds such as butyric acid, propionic acid, putrescine, and cadaverine. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Chinese herbs on VSCs in vitro. Methods: Saliva samples from volunteers were used as the source for the evaluation of bacterial activity and VSC inhibition. Extracted substances from Chinese herbs were identified by VSC inhibition tests with a Halimeter and microbial sensitivity testing. The effectiveness on halitosis was compared between a dentifrice containing one of the effective Chinese herbs (ie, chrysanthemum flower [Chrysanthemum morifolium flos]), 4 commercially available antihalitosis dentifrices, and a positive control that received no treatment. Results: Ten volunteers provided saliva samples for VSC testing. Of the 40 herbs tested, 14 extracts had percent inhibition rates of VSCs >50%. Ten herbs showed greatest effect against all culturable microorganisms with bacterial inhibition >70%. There was a weak positive correlation between bacteriostasis and the anti-VSC activity of the herbs with a correlation coefficient of 0.2579 (Pearson). The mean (SD) values of the VSC testing were as follows: dentifrice containing chrysanthemum flower, 55.91 (8.16) ppb; Crest Tea Refreshing Dentifrice®, 48.39 (7.48) ppb (P = NS); Cortex Phellodendri Dentifrice®, 139.90 (14.70) ppb (P < 0.01); Colgate Total Plus Whitening®, 120.94 (15.58) ppb (P < 0.01); Zhong Hua Chinese Herbs Dentifrice®, 136.96 (13.06) ppb (P < 0.01); and positive control, 312.38 (28.58) ppb (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Of 40 herbs tested, 14 Chinese herbs were found to be effective for VSC inhibition. A dentifrice containing chrysanthemum flower reduced the formation of VSC in vitro, showing a significantly greater effect than the control group and 3 of 4 dentifrices already on the market. PMID:24683259

Constraints on Lithosphere Rheology from Observations of Volcano-induced Deformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, S.; Watts, A. B.

2011-12-01

Mantle rheology at lithospheric conditions (i.e., temperature < 1200 oC) is important for understanding fundamental geodynamic problems including the dynamics of plate tectonics, subducted slabs, and lithosphere-mantle interaction. Laboratory studies suggest that the rheology at lithospheric conditions can be approximately divided into three different regimes: brittle or frictional sliding, semi-brittle, and plastic flow. In this study, we seek to constrain lithospheric rheology, using observations of deformation at seamounts and oceanic islands caused by volcanic loading. Volcano-induced surface deformation depends critically on lithospheric rheology at the time of seamount and oceanic island emplacement and while it changes rapidly on short time-scales it does not change significantly on long time-scales. In an earlier study [Watts and Zhong, 2000], we used the effective elastic thickness at seamounts and oceanic islands inferred from the observations of deformation and gravity to determine an effective activation energy of 120 KJ/mol for lithospheric mantle with Newtonian rheology. We have now expanded this study to incorporate non-Newtonian power-law and frictional sliding rheologies, and more importantly, to include realistic 3-D volcanic load geometries. We use the Hawaiian Islands as an example. We construct 3-D loads for the Hawaiian Islands by applying an appropriate median filter to remove Hawaiian swell topography and correcting for lithospheric age effect on the bathymetry. The loads are then used in 3-D finite element loading models with viscoelastic, non-Newtonian and frictional sliding rheologies to determine the lithospheric response including surface vertical motions and lithospheric stresses. Comparisons of our new model predictions to observations suggest that the activation energy of lithospheric mantle is significantly smaller than most experimentally determined values for olivine at high temperatures, but may be consistent with more recent experimental results at lithospheric temperatures. Seamounts and oceanic islands are therefore a 'natural laboratory', we believe, to study lithospheric rheology on both short and long time scales.

Clinical Strategy for Optimal Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Herbal Dose Selection in Disease Therapeutics: Expert Consensus on Classic TCM Herbal Formula Dose Conversion.

PubMed

Zha, Lin-Hua; He, Li-Sha; Lian, Feng-Mei; Zhen, Zhong; Ji, Hang-Yu; Xu, Li-Peng; Tong, Xiao-Lin

2015-01-01

The clinical therapeutics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitutes a complicated process which involves theory, diagnosis, and formula prescription with specific herbal dosage. Zhang Zhong-Jing's classic work, Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases, has been influencing TCM practice for almost 2000 years. However, during this extended period of time in Chinese history, the Chinese weight measurement system experienced noticeable changes. This change in the weight measurement system inevitably, and perhaps even negatively, affected TCM herbal dosage determination and treatment outcome. Thus, in modern society, a full understanding of the accuracy of herbal dose selection has a critical importance in the TCM daily practice of delivering the best treatment to the patients suffering from different illnesses. In the 973 Project of the Chinese National Basic Research Program, expert consensus on classic TCM formula dose conversion has been reached based on extensive literature review and discussion on the dose-effect relationship of classic TCM formulas. One "liang" in classic TCM formulas is equivalent to 13.8 g. However, based on many TCM basic and clinical studies of variable herbal formula prescriptions and herbal drug preparations, the rule of one liang equals 13.8 g should be adjusted according to different disease conditions. Recommended by the committee on TCM formula dose-effect relationship of the China Association of Chinese Medicine and the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, the following expert consensus has been reached: (i) One liang converts to 6-9 g for the severely and critically ill patients. (ii) One liang converts to 3-6 g for the patients suffering from chronic diseases. (iii) One liang converts to 1-3 g in preventive medicine. The above conversions should be used as a future TCM practice guideline. Using this recommended guideline should enhance the effectiveness of daily TCM practice.

Multiresolution Wavelet Based Adaptive Numerical Dissipation Control for Shock-Turbulence Computations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sjoegreen, B.; Yee, H. C.

2001-01-01

The recently developed essentially fourth-order or higher low dissipative shock-capturing scheme of Yee, Sandham and Djomehri (1999) aimed at minimizing nu- merical dissipations for high speed compressible viscous flows containing shocks, shears and turbulence. To detect non smooth behavior and control the amount of numerical dissipation to be added, Yee et al. employed an artificial compression method (ACM) of Harten (1978) but utilize it in an entirely different context than Harten originally intended. The ACM sensor consists of two tuning parameters and is highly physical problem dependent. To minimize the tuning of parameters and physical problem dependence, new sensors with improved detection properties are proposed. The new sensors are derived from utilizing appropriate non-orthogonal wavelet basis functions and they can be used to completely switch to the extra numerical dissipation outside shock layers. The non-dissipative spatial base scheme of arbitrarily high order of accuracy can be maintained without compromising its stability at all parts of the domain where the solution is smooth. Two types of redundant non-orthogonal wavelet basis functions are considered. One is the B-spline wavelet (Mallat & Zhong 1992) used by Gerritsen and Olsson (1996) in an adaptive mesh refinement method, to determine regions where re nement should be done. The other is the modification of the multiresolution method of Harten (1995) by converting it to a new, redundant, non-orthogonal wavelet. The wavelet sensor is then obtained by computing the estimated Lipschitz exponent of a chosen physical quantity (or vector) to be sensed on a chosen wavelet basis function. Both wavelet sensors can be viewed as dual purpose adaptive methods leading to dynamic numerical dissipation control and improved grid adaptation indicators. Consequently, they are useful not only for shock-turbulence computations but also for computational aeroacoustics and numerical combustion. In addition, these sensors are scheme independent and can be stand alone options for numerical algorithm other than the Yee et al. scheme.

A novel two T-DNA binary vector allows efficient generation of marker-free transgenic plants in three elite cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa L.).

PubMed

Breitler, Jean-Christophe; Meynard, Donaldo; Van Boxtel, Jos; Royer, Monique; Bonnot, François; Cambillau, Laurence; Guiderdoni, Emmanuel

2004-06-01

A pilot binary vector was constructed to assess the potential of the 2 T-DNA system for generating selectable marker-free progeny plants in three elite rice cultivars (ZhongZuo321, Ariete and Khao Dawk Mali 105) known to exhibit contrasting amenabilities to transformation. The first T-DNA of the vector, delimited by Agrobacterium tumefaciens borders, contains the hygromycin phosphotransferase (hpt) selectable gene and the green fluorescent protein (gfp) reporter gene while the second T-DNA, delimited by Agrobacterium rhizogenes borders, bears the phosphinothricin acetyl transferase (bar) gene, featuring the gene of interest. 82-90% of the hygromycin-resistant primary transformants exhibited tolerance to ammonium glufosinate mediated by the bar gene suggesting very high co-transformation frequency in the three cultivars. All of the regenerated plants were analyzed by Southern blot which confirmed co-integration of the T-DNAs at frequencies consistent with those of co-expression and allowed determination of copy number for each gene as well as detection of two different vector backbone fragments extending between the two T-DNAs. Hygromycin susceptible, ammonium glufosinate tolerant phenotypes represented 14.4, 17.4 and 14.3% of the plants in T1 progenies of ZZ321, Ariete and KDML105 primary transformants, respectively. We developed a statistical model for deducing from the observed copy number of each T-DNA in T0 plants and phenotypic segregations in T1 progenies the most likely constitution and linkage of the T-DNA integration locus. Statistical analysis identified in 40 out of 42 lines a most likely linkage configuration theoretically allowing genetic separation of the two T-DNA types and out segregation of the T-DNA bearing the bar gene. Overall, though improvements of the technology would be beneficial, the 2 T-DNA system appeared to be a useful approach to generate selectable marker-free rice plants with a consistent frequency among cultivars.

Sub-CMC solubilization of dodecane by rhamnolipid in saturated porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, X.; Zhong, H.; Zhang, H.; Brusseau, M. L.

2016-12-01

Sub-CMC solubilization of dodecane by rhamnolipid in saturated porous mediaXin Yang1,Hua Zhong1, 2, 3 *, Hui Zhang1, Mark L Brusseau31 College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China;2 School of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China;3 Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721;*Corresponding author, E-mail: zhonghua@hnu.edu.cn, Tel: +86-731-88664182Purpose: Investigate solubilization of dodecane by monorhamnolipid at sub-CMC concentrations in porous media under dynamic flow conditions. Testify aggregate formation mechanism for the solubilization. Methods:One-dimension column experiment was implemented to test dodecane solubilization in glass beads by rhamnolipid at sub-CMC concentrations, and the effect of solubilization on the residual NAPL morphology was examined using X-ray tomography. A two-dimension flow cell was used to examine mobilization and solubilization of dodecane in quartz sand by sub-CMC rhamnolipid. The result of solubilization was compared to that of two synthetic surfactants, SDBS and Triton X-100, and a solvent, ethanol. Size, zeta potential and the morphology of particles in the effluent were also examined. Results: Results of the column and 2-D flow cell studies show enhancement of dodecane solubility by sub-CMC monorhamnolipid in the porous medium. Retention of rhamnolipid and detection of nano-size aggregates show that the solubilization is based on a sub-CMC aggregate-formation mechanism. The rhamnolipid is more efficient for the solubilization compared to the synthetic surfactants and ethanol, and significant solubilization could occur at a rhamnolipid concentration that did not cause mobilization. Conclusions:Results of the study demonstrate the aggregate-based solubilization of dodecane in porous media by rhamnolipid at sub-CMC concentrations. These results indicate a strategy of employing low concentrations of rhamnolipid for surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation (SEAR), which may promote the cost-effectiveness of rhamnolipid application and overcome the drawbacks of using surfactants at hyper-CMC concentrations.

Discontinuous Galerkin method for multicomponent chemically reacting flows and combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Yu; Ihme, Matthias

2014-08-01

This paper presents the development of a discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method for application to chemically reacting flows in subsonic and supersonic regimes under the consideration of variable thermo-viscous-diffusive transport properties, detailed and stiff reaction chemistry, and shock capturing. A hybrid-flux formulation is developed for treatment of the convective fluxes, combining a conservative Riemann-solver and an extended double-flux scheme. A computationally efficient splitting scheme is proposed, in which advection and diffusion operators are solved in the weak form, and the chemically stiff substep is advanced in the strong form using a time-implicit scheme. The discretization of the viscous-diffusive transport terms follows the second form of Bassi and Rebay, and the WENO-based limiter due to Zhong and Shu is extended to multicomponent systems. Boundary conditions are developed for subsonic and supersonic flow conditions, and the algorithm is coupled to thermochemical libraries to account for detailed reaction chemistry and complex transport. The resulting DG method is applied to a series of test cases of increasing physico-chemical complexity. Beginning with one- and two-dimensional multispecies advection and shock-fluid interaction problems, computational efficiency, convergence, and conservation properties are demonstrated. This study is followed by considering a series of detonation and supersonic combustion problems to investigate the convergence-rate and the shock-capturing capability in the presence of one- and multistep reaction chemistry. The DG algorithm is then applied to diffusion-controlled deflagration problems. By examining convergence properties for polynomial order and spatial resolution, and comparing these with second-order finite-volume solutions, it is shown that optimal convergence is achieved and that polynomial refinement provides advantages in better resolving the localized flame structure and complex flow-field features associated with multidimensional and hydrodynamic/thermo-diffusive instabilities in deflagration and detonation systems. Comparisons with standard third- and fifth-order WENO schemes are presented to illustrate the benefit of the DG scheme for application to detonation and multispecies flow/shock-interaction problems.

Prescription patterns of Chinese herbal products for post-surgery colon cancer patients in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chao, Te-Hsin; Fu, Pin-Kuei; Chang, Chiung-Hung; Chang, Shih-Ni; Chiahung Mao, Frank; Lin, Ching-Heng

2014-08-08

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is commonly provided to cancer patients, however, the patterns of prescriptions for this type of medicine in Taiwan are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the use of traditional Chinese medicine products in colon cancer patients post-surgery in Taiwan and to research patterns of TCM. This was a cross-sectional study of newly diagnosed colon cancer patients who received surgery between 2004 and 2008 identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. The prescription patterns and reasons for the use of TCM for colon cancer were analyzed. The results showed that "symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions" (23.3%) and diseases of the digestive system (16.9%) were the most common reasons for using Chinese herbal medicine. Xiang-sha-liu-jun-zi-tang (7.1%), Bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang (4.3%), Jia-wei-xiao-yao-san (4.1%), Shen-Ling-Bai-Zhu-San (3.7%), Ban-Xia-Xie-Xin-Tang (3.4%), Gui-pi-tang (2.4%), Ping-Wei-San (2.4%), Gan-Lu-Yin (2.0%), Bao-He-Wan (1.9%), and Zhen-Ren-Huo-Ming-Yin (1.8%) were the most commonly prescribed single Chinese herbal formulae (CHF) for colon cancer patients post-surgery. Hedyotis diffusa Willd (Bai Hua She She Cao) (5.1%) and Scutellaria barbata (Ban Zhi Lian )(4.8%) were the most commonly prescribed single Chinese herbs. This study identified patterns of TCM use in colon cancer patients post-surgery in Taiwan. The herbal ingredients were most commonly used for stimulate ghrelin secretion to increase food intake and had potential anti-tumor effect. However, further research is required to evaluate any beneficial effects which could identify leads for the development of new treatment strategies using TCM. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anti-emetic effect of oculo-acupuncture on dogs with xylazine induced vomiting.

PubMed

Liu, Jianzhu; Lee, Yoo-Teak; Lee, Sang-Eun; Lee, Jung-Yeon; Kim, Duck-Hwan

2007-01-01

The present study was conducted in order to clarify the anti-emetic effect of oculo-acupuncture (OA) on dogs with xylazine-induced vomiting, and also to compare the anti-emetic effect of OA and body acupuncture (AP). Twelve dogs induced to vomit by xylazine were selected from total 29 mongrel dogs in preliminary experiment and were used as subjects in this study. This study was comprised of two experiments. In experiment 1, the anti-emetic effects of OA on dogs were examined in the stomach/spleen region (experimental group I), the zhongjiao region (experimental group II), and the stomach/spleen region plus the zhongjiao region (experimental group III) using 12 dogs induced to vomit for one week interval repeatedly. On the other hand, needle acupuncture (AP) (BL20 + BL21, experimental group A) and OA (stomach/spleen and zhong jiao regions) combined with needle AP (BL20 + BL21) (experimental group B) were examined using 6 vomiting dogs, for one week interval repeatedly in experiment 2. As a result, the vomiting rates of experimental group I (50%, p < 0.05), experimental group II (58.3%) and experimental group III (41.6%, p < 0.01) were lower than that of control (100%), respectively in experiment 1. The vomiting rates of both experimental group A (50%, p < 0.05) and experimental group B (50%, p < 0.05) were lower than that of control (100%) in experiment 2. The starting vomiting time in experimental groups was similar to that of the control groups in experiment 1 and 2. This study demonstrated that OA had anti-emetic effects on dogs with xylazine-induced vomiting and OA in the stomach/spleen region plus the zhongjiao region was the most effective in anti-emesis among the experimental groups. In addition, body AP and OA combined with body AP had a similar anti-emetic effect on dogs with xylazine-induced vomiting.

Genome-wide linkage mapping of yield-related traits in three Chinese bread wheat populations using high-density SNP markers.

PubMed

Li, Faji; Wen, Weie; He, Zhonghu; Liu, Jindong; Jin, Hui; Cao, Shuanghe; Geng, Hongwei; Yan, Jun; Zhang, Pingzhi; Wan, Yingxiu; Xia, Xianchun

2018-06-01

We identified 21 new and stable QTL, and 11 QTL clusters for yield-related traits in three bread wheat populations using the wheat 90 K SNP assay. Identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for yield-related traits and closely linked molecular markers is important in order to identify gene/QTL for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in wheat breeding. The objectives of the present study were to identify QTL for yield-related traits and dissect the relationships among different traits in three wheat recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations derived from crosses Doumai × Shi 4185 (D × S), Gaocheng 8901 × Zhoumai 16 (G × Z) and Linmai 2 × Zhong 892 (L × Z). Using the available high-density linkage maps previously constructed with the wheat 90 K iSelect single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, 65, 46 and 53 QTL for 12 traits were identified in the three RIL populations, respectively. Among them, 34, 23 and 27 were likely to be new QTL. Eighteen common QTL were detected across two or three populations. Eleven QTL clusters harboring multiple QTL were detected in different populations, and the interval 15.5-32.3 cM around the Rht-B1 locus on chromosome 4BS harboring 20 QTL is an important region determining grain yield (GY). Thousand-kernel weight (TKW) is significantly affected by kernel width and plant height (PH), whereas flag leaf width can be used to select lines with large kernel number per spike. Eleven candidate genes were identified, including eight cloned genes for kernel, heading date (HD) and PH-related traits as well as predicted genes for TKW, spike length and HD. The closest SNP markers of stable QTL or QTL clusters can be used for MAS in wheat breeding using kompetitive allele-specific PCR or semi-thermal asymmetric reverse PCR assays for improvement of GY.

Effect of a variety of Chinese herbs and an herb-containing dentifrice on volatile sulfur compounds associated with halitosis: An in vitro analysis.

PubMed

Li, Ming-Yu; Wang, Jun; Xu, Zhu-Ting

2010-04-01

The principal components of halitosis are volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) such as hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and dimethylsulfide or compounds such as butyric acid, propionic acid, putrescine, and cadaverine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Chinese herbs on VSCs in vitro. Saliva samples from volunteers were used as the source for the evaluation of bacterial activity and VSC inhibition. Extracted substances from Chinese herbs were identified by VSC inhibition tests with a Halimeter and microbial sensitivity testing. The effectiveness on halitosis was compared between a dentifrice containing one of the effective Chinese herbs (ie, chrysanthemum flower [Chrysanthemum morifolium flos]), 4 commercially available antihalitosis dentifrices, and a positive control that received no treatment. Ten volunteers provided saliva samples for VSC testing. Of the 40 herbs tested, 14 extracts had percent inhibition rates of VSCs >50%. Ten herbs showed greatest effect against all culturable microorganisms with bacterial inhibition >70%. There was a weak positive correlation between bacteriostasis and the anti-VSC activity of the herbs with a correlation coefficient of 0.2579 (Pearson). The mean (SD) values of the VSC testing were as follows: dentifrice containing chrysanthemum flower, 55.91 (8.16) ppb; Crest Tea Refreshing Dentifrice®, 48.39 (7.48) ppb (P = NS); Cortex Phellodendri Dentifrice®, 139.90 (14.70) ppb (P < 0.01); Colgate Total Plus Whitening®, 120.94 (15.58) ppb (P < 0.01); Zhong Hua Chinese Herbs Dentifrice®, 136.96 (13.06) ppb (P < 0.01); and positive control, 312.38 (28.58) ppb (P < 0.01). Of 40 herbs tested, 14 Chinese herbs were found to be effective for VSC inhibition. A dentifrice containing chrysanthemum flower reduced the formation of VSC in vitro, showing a significantly greater effect than the control group and 3 of 4 dentifrices already on the market.

The Sleep Apnea cardioVascular Endpoints (SAVE) Trial: Rationale, Ethics, Design, and Progress

PubMed Central

Antic, Nick A.; Heeley, Emma; Anderson, Craig S.; Luo, Yuanming; Wang, Jiguang; Neal, Bruce; Grunstein, Ron; Barbe, Ferran; Lorenzi-Filho, Geraldo; Huang, Shaoguang; Redline, Susan; Zhong, Nanshan; McEvoy, R. Doug

2015-01-01

The Sleep Apnea cardioVascular Endpoints (SAVE) study is an ongoing investigator-initiated and conducted, international, multicenter, open, blinded endpoint, randomized controlled trial that was designed to determine whether treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) can reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with established CV disease (clinical trial registration NCT00738179). The results of this study will have important implications for the provision of health care to patients with sleep apnea around the world. The SAVE study has brought together respiratory, sleep, CV and stroke clinicians-scientists in an interdisciplinary collaboration with industry and government sponsorship to conduct an ambitious clinical trial. Following its launch in Australia and China in late 2008, the recruitment network expanded across 89 sites that included New Zealand, India, Spain, USA, and Brazil for a total of 2,717 patients randomized by December 2013. These patients are being followed until December 2015 so that the average length of follow-up of the cohort will be over 4 y. This article describes the rationale for the SAVE study, considerations given to the design including how various cultural and ethical challenges were addressed, and progress in establishing and maintaining the recruitment network, patient follow-up, and adherence to CPAP and procedures. The assumptions underlying the original trial sample size calculation and why this was revised downward in 2012 are also discussed. Clinical Trials Registration Number: NCT00738179. Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Number: ACTRN12608000409370. Citation: Antic NA, Heeley E, Anderson CS, Luo Y, Wang J, Neal B, Grunstein R, Barbe F, Lorenzi-Filho G, Huang S, Redline S, Zhong N, McEvoy RD. The sleep apnea cardiovascular endpoints (SAVE) trial: rationale, ethics, design, and progress. SLEEP 2015;38(8):1247–1257. PMID:25669180

Selection of appropriate Chinese terms to represent intensity and types of physical activity terms for use in the Taiwan version of IPAQ.

PubMed

Liou, Yiing Mei; Jwo, Clark J C; Yao, Kaiping Grace; Chiang, Li-Chi; Huang, Lian-Hua

2008-12-01

In order to analyze the health risks of insufficient activity by international comparisons, the first author obtained the permission to translate and develop a Taiwan version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The objective was to determine culturally sensitive Chinese translations for the terms "moderate", "vigorous" and "physical activity" as well as to identify representative types of physical activity for Taiwanese. This study used discussions by 12 expert focus groups, 6 expert audits, a scale survey, field study, Cognitive Aspect Survey Methodology (CASM), dual independent translation and back-translation to establish a consensus on physical activity-related concepts, terminologies and types that define the intensity of common activities of Taiwanese by integrating both local and foreign studies. The Chinese terms "fei li", "zhong deng fei li" and "shen ti huo dong", respectively, were identified as suitable and adequate translations for the English terms "vigorous", "moderate" and "physical activity". The common Taiwanese activities were accurately categorized and listed in questionnaires, forming culturally sensitive scales. Taiwan versions of IPAQ's self-administered long version (SL), self-administered short version (SS), and telephone interview short version (TS) were developed. Their content validity indices were .992, .994, and .980, as well as .994, .992, and .994 for language equivalence and meaning similarity between the English and Chinese versions of the IPAQ-LS, IPAQ-SS, and IPAQ-TS, respectively. Consistency values for the English and Chinese versions in terms of intraclass correlation coefficients were .945, .704, and .894, respectively. The IPAQ-Taiwan is not only a sensitive and precise tool, but also shows the effectiveness of the methodology (CASM) used in tool development. Subjects who did not regularly exercise and had an education less than a junior high school level underestimated the moderate-intensity physical activity.

Characteristics of Chinese herbal medicine usage and its effect on survival of lung cancer patients in Taiwan.

PubMed

Li, Te-Mao; Yu, Yang-Hao; Tsai, Fuu-Jen; Cheng, Chi-Fung; Wu, Yang-Chang; Ho, Tsung-Jung; Liu, Xiang; Tsang, Hsinyi; Lin, Ting-Hsu; Liao, Chiu-Chu; Huang, Shao-Mei; Li, Ju-Pi; Lin, Jung-Chun; Lin, Chih-Chien; Liang, Wen-Miin; Lin, Ying-Ju

2018-03-01

In Taiwan, lung cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers. Survival of lung cancer patients remains low, ranging from 6% to 18%. Studies have shown that Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) can be used to induce cell apoptosis and exhibit anti-inflammatoryanti-inflammatory activities in cancer cells. This study aimed to investigate the frequencies and patterns of CHM treatment for lung cancer patients and the effect of CHM on their survival probability in Taiwan. We identified 6939 lung cancer patients (ICD-9-CM: 162). We allocated 264 CHM users and 528 CHM-non users, matched for age, gender, duration, and regular treatment. Chi-square test, conditional multivariable logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test were used in this study. The CHM group was characterized by a longer follow up time and more cases of hyperlipidemia and liver cirrhosis. This group exhibited a lower mortality hazard ratio (0.48, 95% confidence interval [0.39-0.61], p < 0.001), after adjusting for comorbidities. The trend was also observed that the cumulative survival probability was higher in CHM than in non-CHM users (p < 0.0001, log rank test). Analysis of their CHM prescription pattern revealed that Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang (BZYQT), Xiang-Sha-Liu-Jun-Zi-Tang (XSLJZT), and Bai-He-Gu-Jin-Tang (BHGJT); and Bei-Mu (BM), Xing-Ren (XR) and Ge-Gen (GG) were found to be the top three formulas and herbs, respectively. Among them, BM was the core CHM of the major cluster, and Jie-Geng (JG) and Mai-Men-Dong-Tang (MMDT) were important CHMs by CHM network analysis. The use of CHM as an adjunctive therapy may reduce the mortality hazard ratio of lung cancer patients. The investigation of their comprehensive CHM prescription patterns might be useful in future large-scale, randomized clinical investigations of agent effectiveness, safety, and potential interactions with conventional treatments for lung cancer patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In situ rheology of the oceanic lithosphere along the Hawaiian ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pleus, A.; Ito, G.; Wessel, P.; Frazer, L. N.

2017-12-01

Much of our quantitative understanding of lithospheric rheology is based on rock deformation experiments carried out in the laboratory. The accuracy of the relationships between stress and lithosphere deformation, however, are subject to large extrapolations, given that laboratory strain rates (10-7 s-1) are much greater than geologic rates (10-15 to 10-12 s-1). In situ deformation experiments provide independent constraints and are therefore needed to improve our understanding of natural rheology. Zhong and Watts [2013] presented such a study around the main Hawaiian Islands and concluded that the lithosphere flexure requires a much weaker rheology than predicted by laboratory experiments. We build upon this study by investigating flexure around the older volcanoes of the Hawaiian ridge. The ridge is composed of a diversity of volcano sizes that loaded seafloor of nearly constant age (85+/-8 Ma); this fortunate situation allows for an analysis of flexural responses to large variations in applied loads at nearly constant age-dependent lithosphere thermal structure. Our dataset includes new marine gravity and multi-beam bathymetry data collected onboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's R/V Falkor. These data, along with forward models of lithospheric flexure, are used to obtain a joint posterior probability density function for model parameters that control the lithosphere's flexural response to a given load. These parameters include the frictional coefficient constraining brittle failure in the shallow lithosphere, the activation energy for the low-temperature plasticity regime, and the geothermal gradient of the Hawaiian lithosphere. The resulting in situ rheological parameters may be used to verify or update those derived in the lab. Attaining accurate lithospheric rheological properties is important to our knowledge, not only of the evolution of the Hawaiian lithosphere, but also of other solid-earth geophysical problems, such as oceanic earthquakes, subduction dynamics, and coastal topographic response to sea level rise.

Study on Sources of Volatile Organic Compounds (CMB) in Pearl River Delta region, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y.; Shao, M.; Lu, S.; Chang, C.; Wang, C. J.; Wang, B.

2007-05-01

The profiles of major Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sources including vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapor, painting, asphalt, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), biomass burning and petrochemical industry in Pearl River Delta were experimentally determined. Source samples were taken by using dilution chamber for mobile and stationary sources, laboratory simulation for biomass burning. The concentrations of 108 VOC species of sources were quantified by using canister with pre-concentration-GC/MS system, from which 52 PAMS hydrocarbons and one kind of chlorinated hydrocarbon were deployed to build the source profiles for source apportionment of VOCs. Based the measurement of source profiles, the possible tracers for various emission sources were identified, e.g 2-methylbutane and 1,3-butadiene were the tracers for motor vehicle exhaust, the characteristic compounds of architectural and furnishing coatings are aromatics such as toluene and m/p-xylene; the light hydrocarbons, namely n-butane, trans-2-butene and n-pentane, dominated the composition of gasoline vapor; and the nonane, decane and undecane are found to represent the asphalt emissions etc.. The CMB receptor model was applied to source apportionment of 58 hydrocarbons measured at seven sites during the PRD campaign, 2004. The 12 kinds of VOC sources include gasoline/diesel-powered vehicle exhaust, gasoline/diesel headspace vapor, vehicle evaporative emissions, liquid petroleum gas (LPG) leakage, painting vapors, asphalt emission from paved road, biomass burning, coal burning, chemical industry and petroleum refinery. Vehicle exhaust was the largest sources contributing over half of the ambient VOCs at the three urban sites (GuangZhou, FoShan and ZhongShan). LPG leakage played an important role with the percentage of 8- 16% in most sites in PRD. Contributions from solvents usage were highest at DongGuan, an industrial site. At XinKen, the solvents and coatings had the largest percentage of 31% probably due to the influence of its upwind area of DongGuan. The local biomass burning was also found to be a noticeable source at XK.

[Warm needling combined with element calcium for postmenopausal osteoporosis].

PubMed

Cai, Guowei; Li, Jing; Xue, Yuazhi; Li, Gang; Wu, Man; Li, Pengfei

2015-09-01

To observe the clinical effectiveness of warm needling combined with element calcium on postmenopausal osteoporosis, and to explore its action mechanism. Eighty-five postmenopausal patients were randomly divided into an observation group (43 cases) and a control group (42 cases). Both the two groups were treated with oral administration of caltrate-D tablet, 600 mg per day, once a day before sleep for one year. Patients in the observation group were treated with warm needling at Dazhu (BL 11), Shenshu (BL 23), Xuan-zhong (GB 39), once a day; 30 days of treatment were taken as a course, and totally 4 courses were given with an interval of 60 days between courses. The bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar vertebra and hip joint, and the level of serum bone gla protein (S-BGP) and hydroxyproline/creatinine (Hyp/Cr) were observed before and after treatment in the two groups. (1)After treatment, the BMD in the observation group was significantly increased [lumbar vertebra (0. 811±0. 024) g/cm2 vs (0. 892±0.019) g/cm2, femoral neck (0. 512±0.014) g/cm2 vs (0. 554±0. 015) g/cm2, femoral trochanter (0. 716±0. 028) g/cm2 vs (0.769±0.026) g/cm2, Ward's trigonum (0. 590±0. 013) g/cm2 vs (0. 660±0. 017) g/cm2, all P<0. 05)]; the improvement in the observation group was more significant than that in the control group (all P<0. 05). (2)After treatment, the index of bone metabolism in the control group was increased, and the serum S-BGP, the Hyp/Cr in the control group were higher than those in the observation group (both P<0. 05). The treatment of warm needling combined with element calcium on postmenopausal osteoporosis is significant, which is likely to be achieved by reducing the bone metabolism of postmenopausal patients.

Two decades of ice melt reconstruction in Greenland and Antarctica from time-variable gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talpe, M.; Nerem, R. S.; Lemoine, F. G.

2014-12-01

In this study, we present a record of ice-sheet melt derived from space-borne gravity that spans over two decades—beyond the time-frame of the GRACE mission. GRACE fields are merged with conventional tracking data (SLR/DORIS) spanning 1992 to the present. They are provided as weekly global fields of degree and order five without C50 and S50 but with C61 and S61. Their multi-decade timespan complements the monthly fields of GRACE of degree and order 60 that start in 2003 and will end when the GRACE mission terminates. The two datasets are combined via an empirical orthogonal function analysis, whereby the conventional tracking data temporal modes are obtained by fitting the SLR/DORIS coefficients to the GRACE spatial modes via linear least squares. Combining those temporal modes with GRACE spatial modes yields the reconstructed global gravity fields. The error budget of the reconstructions is composed of three components: the SLR/DORIS covariances, the errors estimated from the assumption that GRACE spatial modes can be mapped over the SLR/DORIS timeframe, and the covariances from the least squares fit applied to obtain the SLR/DORIS temporal modes. The reconstructed surface mass changes in Greenland and Antarctica, predominantly captured in the first mode, show a rate of mass loss that is increasing since 1992. The trend of mass changes in Greenland over various epochs match with an overarching study assembling altimetry, gravimetry, and interferometry estimates of ice-sheet balance over a 1992-2011 time-frame [Shepherd et al., 2012]. Antarctica shows a trend that is different because of updated GIA models [A et al., 2013] compared to the other studies. We will also show regional mass changes over various other basins, as well as the influence of each SLR/DORIS coefficient on the reconstructions. The consistency of these results underscores the possibility of using low-resolution SLR/DORIS time-variable gravity solutions as a way to continuously monitor the behavior of the polar ice-sheets in the absence of GRACE. Shepherd, A., et al. (2012), Science 338, 1183. A, G., J. Wahr, and S. Zhong (2013), GJI 192, 557.

BSDWormer; an Open Source Implementation of a Poisson Wavelet Multiscale Analysis for Potential Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horowitz, F. G.; Gaede, O.

2014-12-01

Wavelet multiscale edge analysis of potential fields (a.k.a. "worms") has been known since Moreau et al. (1997) and was independently derived by Hornby et al. (1999). The technique is useful for producing a scale-explicit overview of the structures beneath a gravity or magnetic survey, including establishing the location and estimating the attitude of surface features, as well as incorporating information about the geometric class (point, line, surface, volume, fractal) of the underlying sources — in a fashion much like traditional structural indices from Euler solutions albeit with better areal coverage. Hornby et al. (2002) show that worms form the locally highest concentration of horizontal edges of a given strike — which in conjunction with the results from Mallat and Zhong (1992) induces a (non-unique!) inversion where the worms are physically interpretable as lateral boundaries in a source distribution that produces a close approximation of the observed potential field. The technique has enjoyed widespread adoption and success in the Australian mineral exploration community — including "ground truth" via successfully drilling structures indicated by the worms. Unfortunately, to our knowledge, all implementations of the code to calculate the worms/multiscale edges (including Horowitz' original research code) are either part of commercial software packages, or have copyright restrictions that impede the use of the technique by the wider community. The technique is completely described mathematically in Hornby et al. (1999) along with some later publications. This enables us to re-implement from scratch the code required to calculate and visualize the worms. We are freely releasing the results under an (open source) BSD two-clause software license. A git repository is available at . We will give an overview of the technique, show code snippets using the codebase, and present visualization results for example datasets (including the Surat basin of Australia, and the Lake Ontario region of North America). We invite you to join us in creating and using the best worming software for potential fields in existence — as both gratis and libre software!

Health equity in an unequal country: the use of medical services in Chile.

PubMed

Paraje, Guillermo; Vásquez, Felipe

2012-12-18

A recent health reform was implemented in Chile (the AUGE reform) with the objective of reducing the socioeconomic gaps to access healthcare. This reform did not seek to eliminate the private insurance system, which coexists with the public one, but to ensure minimum conditions of access to the entire population, at a reasonable cost and with a quality guarantee, to cover an important group of health conditions. This paper's main objective is to enquire what has happened with the use of several healthcare services after the reform was fully implemented. Concentration and Horizontal Inequity indices were estimated for the use of general practitioners, specialists, emergency room visits, laboratory and x-ray exams and hospitalization days. The change in such indices (pre and post-reform) was decomposed, following Zhong (2010). A "mean effect" (how these indices would change if the differential use in healthcare services were evenly distributed) and a "distribution effect" (how these indices would change with no change in average use) were obtained. Changes in concentration indices were mainly due to mean effects for all cases, except for specialists (where "distribution effect" prevailed) and hospitalization days (where none of these effects prevailed over others). This implies that by providing more services across socioeconomic groups, less inequality in the use of services was achieved. On the other hand, changes in horizontal inequity indices were due to distribution effects in the case of GP, ER visits and hospitalization days; and due to mean effect in the case of x-rays. In the first three cases indices reduced their pro-poorness implying that after the reform relatively higher socioeconomic groups used these services more (in relation to their needs). In the case of x-rays, increased use was responsible for improving its horizontal inequity index. The increase in the average use of healthcare services after the AUGE reform has not always led to improved equity in the use of such services in most services. This indicates that there are still barriers to the equitable use of healthcare services (e.g. insufficient medical human resources, financial barriers, capacity constraints, etc.) that have remained after the reform.

SU-E-J-200: Operation of An Electron Accelerator On An Integrated MR-Linac System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harasimowicz, J; Roberts, D; Shinton, I

2015-06-15

Purpose: An integrated MRI guided radiotherapy system poses a challenge of operating a linear accelerator in the presence of a magnetic field as the magnetic force acting on the electrons could Result in radiation source displacement and subsequent reduction of dose output. It was the purpose of this work to test the performance of a linac in the presence of a 1.5T MRI system. Methods: The first experimental MRI guided radiotherapy system at UMC-Utrecht consisting of an Elekta linac rotating around a 1.5T Magnex magnet was examined. A passive magnetic shield was simulated, designed and installed to reduce the influencemore » of the MRI magnet stray field on the electron beamline. The B field inside the shield was measured as a function of gantry angle and measurements of dose rate constancy upon gantry rotation were performed. Results: The magnitude of the magnetic field on the electron beam path without the shield was as high as 70G. It varied by up to 15G with gantry rotation due to the presence of metal beams in the bunker floor which resulted in dose output drop of up to 70% at certain gantry angles. With the prototype shield, field magnitude was reduced to well below 0.5G everywhere along the electron beam path. Field variation with gantry rotation was decreased to below 0.2G and enabled dose output of the linac to be recovered at all gantry angles. The homogeneity of the field inside the MRI magnet has not been compromised. Conclusion: It was demonstrated that the influence of the 1.5T magnet and the bunker design on the linac operation has been minimised. The performance will be further improved on the Elekta Atlantic system which incorporates a newly developed and optimised Philips magnet design and bunker construction. J Harasimowicz, D Roberts, I Shinton and S Sund are employed by Elekta Limited Crawley, H Wang and M Zhong are employed by Elekta Beijing Medical Systems Co. Ltd., J Overweg is employed by Philips Technologie GmbH Forschungslaboratorien.« less

Patterns of Chinese medicine use in prescriptions for treating Alzheimer's disease in Taiwan.

PubMed

Lin, Shun-Ku; Yan, Sui-Hing; Lai, Jung-Nien; Tsai, Tung-Hu

2016-01-01

Certain Chinese medicine (CM) herbs and acupuncture may protect against Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, there is a lack of research regarding the use of CM in patients with AD. The aim of this study was to investigate CM usage patterns in patients with AD, and identify the Chinese herbal formulae most commonly used for AD. This retrospective, nationwide, population-based cohort study was conducted using a randomly sampled cohort of one million patients, selected from the National Health Insurance Research Database between 1997 and 2008 in Taiwan. CM use and the top ten most frequently prescribed formulae for treating AD were assessed, including average formulae dose and frequency of prescriptions. Demographic characteristics, including sex, age and insurance level were examined, together with geographic location. Existing medical conditions with the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and medications associated with CM were also examined. Factors associated with CM use were analyzed by multiple logistic regressions. The cohort included 1137 newly diagnosed AD patients, who were given conventional treatment for AD between 1997 and 2008. Among them, 78.2 % also used CM treatments, including Chinese herbal remedies, acupuncture and massage manipulation. Female patients (aOR 1.57 with 95 % CI 1.16-2.13) and those living in urban areas (aOR 3.00 with 95 % CI 1.83-4.90 in the middle of Taiwan) were more likely to use CM. After adjusting for demographic factors, AD patients suffering from the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia were more likely to seek CM treatment than those with no symptoms (aOR 2.26 with 95 % CI 1.48-3.43 in patients suffering more than three symptoms). Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang and Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-Wan were the two formulae most frequently prescribed by CM practitioners for treating AD. Most people with AD who consumed herbal products used supplement qi, nourish the blood, and quiet the heart spirit therapy as complementary medicines to relieve AD-related symptoms, in addition to using standard anti-AD treatments.

Chinese herbal prescriptions for osteoarthritis in Taiwan: analysis of national health insurance dataset

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been commonly used for treating osteoarthritis in Asia for centuries. This study aimed to conduct a large-scale pharmaco-epidemiologic study and evaluate the frequency and patterns of CHM used in treating osteoarthritis in Taiwan. Methods A complete database (total 22,520,776 beneficiaries) of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) outpatient claims offered by the National Health Insurance program in Taiwan for the year 2002 was employed for this research. Patients with osteoarthritis were identified according to the diagnostic code of the International Classification of Disease among claimed visiting files. Corresponding prescription files were analyzed, and an association rule was applied to evaluate the co-prescription of CHM for treating osteoarthritis. Results There were 20,059 subjects who visited TCM clinics for osteoarthritis and received a total of 32,050 CHM prescriptions. Subjects between 40 and 49 years of age comprised the largest number of those treated (19.2%), followed by 50-59 years (18.8%) and 60-69 years group (18.2%). In addition, female subjects used CHMs for osteoarthritis more frequently than male subjects (female: male = 1.89: l). There was an average of 5.2 items prescribed in the form of either an individual Chinese herb or formula in a single CHM prescription for osteoarthritis. Du-zhong (Eucommia bark) was the most commonly prescribed Chinese single herb, while Du-huo-ji-sheng-tang was the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formula for osteoarthritis. According to the association rule, the most commonly prescribed formula was Du-huo-ji-sheng-tang plus Shen-tong-zhu-yu-tang, and the most commonly prescribed triple-drug combination was Du-huo-ji-sheng-tang, Gu-sui-pu (Drynaria fortune (Kunze) J. Sm.), and Xu-Duan (Himalaya teasel). Nevertheless, further clinical trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of these CHMs for treating osteoarthritis. Conclusions This study conducted a large scale pharmaco-epidemiology survey of Chinese herbal medicine use in OA patients by analyzing the NHIRD in Taiwan in year 2002. PMID:24606767

Warm-needle moxibustion for spasticity after stroke: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Yang, Liu; Tan, Jing-Yu; Ma, Haili; Zhao, Hongjia; Lai, Jinghui; Chen, Jin-Xiu; Suen, Lorna K P

2018-03-22

Spasticity is a common post-stroke complication, and it results in substantial deterioration in the quality of life of patients. Although potential positive effects of warm-needle moxibustion on spasticity after stroke have been observed, evidence on its definitive effect remains uncertain. This study aimed to summarize clinical evidence pertaining to therapeutic effects and safety of warm-needle moxibustion for treating spasticity after stroke. Randomized controlled trials were reviewed systematically on the basis of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The report follows the PRISMA statement. Ten electronic databases (PubMed, CENTRAL, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL, Web of Science, CBM, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP) were explored, and articles were retrieved manually from two Chinese journals (The Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Zhong Guo Zhen Jiu) through retrospective search. Randomized controlled trials with warm-needle moxibustion as treatment intervention for patients with limb spasm after stroke were included in this review. The risk of bias assessment tool was utilized in accordance with Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0. All included studies reported spasm effect as primary outcome. Effect size was estimated using relative risk, standardized mean difference, or mean difference with a corresponding 95% confidence interval. Review Manager 5.3 was utilized for meta-analysis. Twelve randomized controlled trials with certain methodological flaws and risk of bias were included, and they involved a total of 878 participants. Warm-needle moxibustion was found to be superior to electroacupuncture or acupuncture in reducing spasm and in promoting motor function and daily living activities. Pooled results for spasm effect and motor function were significant when warm-needle moxibustion was compared with electroacupuncture or acupuncture. A comparison of daily living activities indicated significant differences between warm-needle moxibustion and electroacupuncture. However, no difference was observed between warm-needle moxibustion and acupuncture. Warm-needle moxibustion may be a promising intervention to reduce limb spasm as well as improve motor function and daily living activities for stroke patients with spasticity. However, evidence was not conclusive. Rigorously designed randomized controlled trials with sample sizes larger than that in the included trials should be conducted for verification. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PREFACE: 5th Workshop of Young Researchers in Astronomy & Astrophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forgács-Dajka, Emese; Plachy, Emese; Molnár, László

2010-04-01

The 5th Workshop of Young Researchers in Astronomy and Astrophysics was held on 2-4 September 2009 at the Eötvös University in Budapest, Hungary. This meeting fits into a conference series which can already be considered a tradition where the younger generation has the opportunity to present their work. The event was also a great opportunity for senior astronomers and physicists to form new connections with the next generation of researchers. The selection of invited speakers concentrated on the researchers currently most active in the field, mostly on a post-doctoral/tenure/fresh faculty position level. A number of senior experts and PhD students were also invited. As the conference focused on people rather than a specific field, various topics from theoretical physics to planetology were covered in three days. The programme was divided into six sections: Physics of the Sun and the Solar System Gravity and high-energy physics Galactic and extragalactic astronomy, cosmology Celestial mechanics and exoplanets Infrared astronomy and young stars Variable stars We had the pleasure of welcoming 10 invited review talks from senior researchers and 42 contributed talks and a poster from the younger generation. Participants also enjoyed the hospitality of the pub Pál at the Pálvölgyi-cave after giving, hearing and disputing countless talks. Brave souls even descended to the unbuilt, adventurous Mátyásvölgyi-cave. Memories of the conference were shadowed though. Péter Csizmadia, one of our participants and three other climbers attempted a first ever ascent to the Ren Zhong Feng peak in Sichuan, China, but they never returned from the mountains. Péter departed to China shortly after the conference, with best wishes from participants and friends. We dedicate this volume to his memory. The organisers thankthe Physics Doctoral School of Eötvös University for its hospitality. The workshop was supported by the Mecenatúra and Polányi Mihály Programmes of the National Office for Research and Technology (NKTH) and the Ministry of Education and Culture (OKM) of Hungary. Emese Forgács-Dajka, Emese Plachy and László Molnár Conference photograph Conference photograph

Stress Variation Caused by the Terrestrial Water Storage Inferred from GRACE Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, H.; Wen, L.

2014-12-01

We estimate stress variation caused by the terrestrial water storage (TWS) change from 2003 to 2013. We first infer the TWS change from the monthly gravity field change in the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). We then estimate the stress change at the Earth's surface caused by elastic loading of mass change associated with the inferred TWS change.The monthly spherical harmonics of the GRACE gravity solutions are processed using a decorrelation filter and Gaussian smoothing, to suppress the noise in high degree and order, following the approach of Swenson and Wahr [2006] and Chen et al. [2007]. The gravity variation associated with the glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) is further removed from the GRACE solutions based on a geodynamical model by Paulson et al. [2007]. The inferred TWS changes exhibit a trend of increase from 2003 to 2013 in Amazon basin, southern Africa, the northern United State America (USA) and Queen Maud Land of Antarctica, and a trend of decrease in the same period in central Argentina, southern Chile, northern India, northern Iran, Alaska of the USA, Greenland and Marie Byrd Land of Antarctica.Surface stress variation due to the TWS loading is calculated, assuming an incompressible and self-gravitating Earth, with an elastic crust and a viscoelastic mantle overlying an inviscid core based on PREM model. We will present the geographical distribution of the stress variation caused by the TWS loading and discuss its possible implications. Chen, J. L., C. R. Wilson, B. D. Tapley, and S. Grand (2007), GRACE detects coseismic and postseismic deformation from the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, Geophys Res Lett, 34(13), doi:10.1029/2007GL030356. Paulson, A., S. J. Zhong, and J. Wahr (2007), Inference of mantle viscosity from GRACE and relative sea level data, Geophys J Int, 171(2), 497-508, doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2007.03556.x. Swenson, S., and J. Wahr (2006), Post-processing removal of correlated errors in GRACE data, Geophys Res Lett, 33(8), doi:10.1029/2005GL025285.

The Association Between Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitor Use and Risk of Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Liu, Bing; Zhu, Linxin; Zhong, Jingxiang; Zeng, Guohua; Deng, Tuo

2018-06-05

Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5-Is) are first-line drugs for erectile dysfunction. Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) has been linked with PDE5-I use. However, no meta-analysis or conclusive review has explored the association between NAION and PDE5-I use. To investigate the association between PDE5-I use and risk of NAION. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using online databases in October 2017 to obtain studies researching the association between PDE5-I application and occurrence of NAION. Summarized unadjusted risk ratios (RRs) with 95% CIs were calculated for the strength of this association. This study was conducted in accordance to Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines and registered in PROSPERO under number CRD42017080865. The strength of association between PDE5-I use and risk of NAION was assessed through pooled unadjusted RRs and 95% CIs. 5 original articles with 6 clinical observations were included in the meta-analysis. No significant higher risk of NAION was observed after the use of PDE5-Is within a 1-month period (RR = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.98-1.39, P = .09). Subgroup analyses indicated 2 PDE5-Is were significantly related to NAION (tadalafil: RR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.20-3.84, P = .01; sildenafil: RR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.29-3.94, P = .004). Although we found no association between NAION and PDE5-I use, our results should be interpreted cautiously because we included only observational studies and could not control for potential confounders. Because NAION is a rare ocular disease and difficult to diagnose, this association should be confirmed in prospective comparative studies with larger samples and more rigorous designs. Liu B, Zhu L, Zhong J, et al. The Association Between Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitor Use and Risk of Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sex Med 2018;X:XXX-XXX. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Health equity in an unequal country: the use of medical services in Chile

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Introduction A recent health reform was implemented in Chile (the AUGE reform) with the objective of reducing the socioeconomic gaps to access healthcare. This reform did not seek to eliminate the private insurance system, which coexists with the public one, but to ensure minimum conditions of access to the entire population, at a reasonable cost and with a quality guarantee, to cover an important group of health conditions. This paper’s main objective is to enquire what has happened with the use of several healthcare services after the reform was fully implemented. Methods Concentration and Horizontal Inequity indices were estimated for the use of general practitioners, specialists, emergency room visits, laboratory and x-ray exams and hospitalization days. The change in such indices (pre and post-reform) was decomposed, following Zhong (2010). A “mean effect” (how these indices would change if the differential use in healthcare services were evenly distributed) and a “distribution effect” (how these indices would change with no change in average use) were obtained. Results Changes in concentration indices were mainly due to mean effects for all cases, except for specialists (where “distribution effect” prevailed) and hospitalization days (where none of these effects prevailed over others). This implies that by providing more services across socioeconomic groups, less inequality in the use of services was achieved. On the other hand, changes in horizontal inequity indices were due to distribution effects in the case of GP, ER visits and hospitalization days; and due to mean effect in the case of x-rays. In the first three cases indices reduced their pro-poorness implying that after the reform relatively higher socioeconomic groups used these services more (in relation to their needs). In the case of x-rays, increased use was responsible for improving its horizontal inequity index. Conclusions The increase in the average use of healthcare services after the AUGE reform has not always led to improved equity in the use of such services in most services. This indicates that there are still barriers to the equitable use of healthcare services (e.g. insufficient medical human resources, financial barriers, capacity constraints, etc.) that have remained after the reform. PMID:23249481

Development of the scintillator-based probe for fast-ion losses in the HL-2A tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y. P.; Liu, Yi; Luo, X. B.; Isobe, M.; Yuan, G. L.; Liu, Y. Q.; Hua, Y.; Song, X. Y.; Yang, J. W.; Li, X.; Chen, W.; Li, Y.; Yan, L. W.; Song, X. M.; Yang, Q. W.; Duan, X. R.

2014-05-01

A new scintillator-based lost fast-ion probe (SLIP) has been developed and operated in the HL-2A tokamak [L. W. Yan, X. R. Duan, X. T. Ding, J. Q. Dong, Q. W. Yang, Yi Liu, X. L. Zou, D. Q. Liu, W. M. Xuan, L. Y. Chen, J. Rao, X. M. Song, Y. Huang, W. C. Mao, Q. M. Wang, Q. Li, Z. Cao, B. Li, J. Y. Cao, G. J. Lei, J. H. Zhang, X. D. Li, W. Chen, J. Chen, C. H. Cui, Z. Y. Cui, Z. C. Deng, Y. B. Dong, B. B. Feng, Q. D. Gao, X. Y. Han, W. Y. Hong, M. Huang, X. Q. Ji, Z. H. Kang, D. F. Kong, T. Lan, G. S. Li, H. J. Li, Qing Li, W. Li, Y. G. Li, A. D. Liu, Z. T. Liu, C. W. Luo, X. H. Mao, Y. D. Pan, J. F. Peng, Z. B. Shi, S. D. Song, X. Y. Song, H. J. Sun, A. K. Wang, M. X. Wang, Y. Q. Wang, W. W. Xiao, Y. F. Xie, L. H. Yao, D. L. Yu, B. S. Yuan, K. J. Zhao, G. W. Zhong, J. Zhou, J. C. Yan, C. X. Yu, C. H. Pan, Y. Liu, and the HL-2A Team, Nucl. Fusion 51, 094016 (2011)] to measure the losses of neutral beam ions. The design of the probe is based on the concept of the α-particle detectors on Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) using scintillator plates. The probe is capable of traveling across an equatorial plane port and sweeping the aperture angle rotationally with respect to the axis of the probe shaft by two step motors, in order to optimize the radial position and the collimator angle. The energy and the pitch angle of the lost fast ions can be simultaneously measured if the two-dimensional image of scintillation light intensity due to the impact of the lost fast ions is detected. Measurements of the fast-ion losses using the probe have been performed during HL-2A neutral beam injection discharges. The clear experimental evidence of enhanced losses of beam ions during disruptions has been obtained by means of the SLIP system. A detailed description of the probe system and the first experimental results are reported.

Top five medical innovations in China mainland since Xinhai revolution [1911]: results of AME survey-002

PubMed Central

Xiao, Fan

2015-01-01

Objective This survey aims to scrutinize important medical innovations in Chinese mainland since Xinhai (Hsin-hai) revolution in 1911, which marked the end of Manchurian imperial rule and the beginning of China’s republican era. Methods An online cross-sectional survey was carried out during the period of Dec 29, 2014 to Feb 5, 2015, totaling 37 days. The survey was conducted on the platform provided by DXY (www.dxy.cn), which is the largest medical and paramedical related website in China. An email was sent to all DXY registered users to invite them to participate in a 5-minute survey. The participants were asked to nominate up to four important medical innovations in China mainland since Xinhai revolution. The participant could select ‘zero’ which means he/she felt there was no important medical innovations, or he/she did not know important medical innovations. It was noted that important medical innovations refer to (I) those with practical and almost immediate significance to improve healthcare; (II) should not only be introducing western technique to China, but those involve major improvement of existing western techniques count; (III) should not be those with important theoretical discovery but did not have almost immediate significance to improve healthcare. Results In total 1,513 DXY users participated in the voting. Totally 489 (32.3%), 441 (29.1%), 342 (22.6%), 150 (9.9%), 91 (6.0%) participants provided 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 nominations respectively. (I) Artemisine (Qinghaosu) for malaria treatment (Project 523 team, 1972); (II) arsenic Trioxide (As2O3) for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) treatment (ZHANG Ting-Dong and colleagues, 1970s); (III) limb re-plantation (CHEN Zhong-Wei and colleagues, 1963); (IV) all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) for APL treatment (WANG Zhen-Yi and colleagues, 1988); and (V) Wu’s mask for plague prevention (WU Lien-The, 1910), were voted as the top five innovations in China mainland since Xinhai revolution, with 375, 96, 91, 53, and 8 votes respectively. Conclusions In this voting exercise, five achievements were voted as top innovations in China mainland since Xinhai revolution. However, only ATRA for APL treatment was accomplished after the ending of Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in year 1976 in China. PMID:26029648

Development of the scintillator-based probe for fast-ion losses in the HL-2A tokamak

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Y. P., E-mail: zhangyp@swip.ac.cn; Liu, Yi; Yuan, G. L.

A new scintillator-based lost fast-ion probe (SLIP) has been developed and operated in the HL-2A tokamak [L. W. Yan, X. R. Duan, X. T. Ding, J. Q. Dong, Q. W. Yang, Yi Liu, X. L. Zou, D. Q. Liu, W. M. Xuan, L. Y. Chen, J. Rao, X. M. Song, Y. Huang, W. C. Mao, Q. M. Wang, Q. Li, Z. Cao, B. Li, J. Y. Cao, G. J. Lei, J. H. Zhang, X. D. Li, W. Chen, J. Chen, C. H. Cui, Z. Y. Cui, Z. C. Deng, Y. B. Dong, B. B. Feng, Q. D. Gao, X. Y.more » Han, W. Y. Hong, M. Huang, X. Q. Ji, Z. H. Kang, D. F. Kong, T. Lan, G. S. Li, H. J. Li, Qing Li, W. Li, Y. G. Li, A. D. Liu, Z. T. Liu, C. W. Luo, X. H. Mao, Y. D. Pan, J. F. Peng, Z. B. Shi, S. D. Song, X. Y. Song, H. J. Sun, A. K. Wang, M. X. Wang, Y. Q. Wang, W. W. Xiao, Y. F. Xie, L. H. Yao, D. L. Yu, B. S. Yuan, K. J. Zhao, G. W. Zhong, J. Zhou, J. C. Yan, C. X. Yu, C. H. Pan, Y. Liu, and the HL-2A Team , Nucl. Fusion 51, 094016 (2011)] to measure the losses of neutral beam ions. The design of the probe is based on the concept of the α-particle detectors on Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) using scintillator plates. The probe is capable of traveling across an equatorial plane port and sweeping the aperture angle rotationally with respect to the axis of the probe shaft by two step motors, in order to optimize the radial position and the collimator angle. The energy and the pitch angle of the lost fast ions can be simultaneously measured if the two-dimensional image of scintillation light intensity due to the impact of the lost fast ions is detected. Measurements of the fast-ion losses using the probe have been performed during HL-2A neutral beam injection discharges. The clear experimental evidence of enhanced losses of beam ions during disruptions has been obtained by means of the SLIP system. A detailed description of the probe system and the first experimental results are reported.« less

A Newly Designed Mobile-Based Computerized Cognitive Addiction Therapy App for the Improvement of Cognition Impairments and Risk Decision Making in Methamphetamine Use Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Zhu, Youwei; Jiang, Haifeng; Su, Hang; Zhong, Na; Li, Runji; Li, Xiaotong; Chen, Tianzhen; Tan, Haoye; Du, Jiang; Xu, Ding; Yan, Huan; Xu, Dawen; Zhao, Min

2018-06-20

Cognitive rehabilitation therapy has been found to improve cognitive deficits and impulse control problems in methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). However, there is limited research regarding this therapy's feasibility when using mobile-based health technologies in supporting recovery from MUD in China. The main aim of this study was to test whether 4 weeks of a newly designed computerized cognitive addiction therapy (CCAT) app can improve cognitive impairments, eliminate drug-related attention bias, and attenuate risk decision-making behaviors in participants with MUD. Forty MUD participants were assigned randomly to either the CCAT group (n=20), who received 4 weeks of CCAT plus regular detoxification treatment as usual, or the control group (n=20), who only received the regular detoxification treatment as usual, in drug rehabilitation centers in Shanghai. The CCAT was designed by combine methamphetamine use-related picture stimuli with cognitive training with the aim of improving cognitive function and eliminating drug-related attention bias. The CogState Battery, Delay Discounting Task (DDT), Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), and Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) were administered face-to-face to all participants before and after CCAT interventions. Forty male patients were recruited. The mean age was 32.70 (SD 5.27) years in the CCAT group and mean 35.05 (SD 8.02) years in the control group. Compared to the control group, CCAT improved working memory in the CCAT group (P=.01). Group×time interactions were observed among DDT, IGT, and BART tasks, with rates of discounting delayed rewards, IGT, and BART scores (P<.001) being reduced among those who received CCAT, whereas no changes were found in the control group. The newly designed CCAT can help to improve cognitive impairment and impulsive control in MUD. Further study is needed to understand the underlying brain mechanisms of the cognitive therapy. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03318081; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03318081 (Archived by WebCite at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03318081). ©Youwei Zhu, Haifeng Jiang, Hang Su, Na Zhong, Runji Li, Xiaotong Li, Tianzhen Chen, Haoye Tan, Jiang Du, Ding Xu, Huan Yan, Dawen Xu, Min Zhao. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 20.06.2018.

A novel herbal formula induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in association with suppressing the PI3K/AKT pathway in human lung cancer A549 cells.

PubMed

Xiong, Fei; Jiang, Miao; Huang, Zhenzhou; Chen, Meijuan; Chen, Kejun; Zhou, Jing; Yin, Lian; Tang, Yuping; Wang, Mingyan; Ye, Lihong; Zhan, Zhen; Duan, Jinao; Fu, Haian; Zhang, Xu

2014-03-01

In recent years, the incidence of lung cancer, as well as the mortality rate from this disease, has increased. Moreover, because of acquired drug resistance and adverse side effects, the effectiveness of current therapeutics used for the treatment of lung cancer has decreased significantly. Chinese medicine has been shown to have significant antitumor effects and is increasingly being used for the treatment of cancer. However, as the mechanisms of action for many Chinese medicines are undefined, the application of Chinese medicine for the treatment of cancer is limited. The formula tested has been used clinically by the China National Traditional Chinese Medicine Master, Professor Zhonging Zhou for treatment of cancer. In this article, we examine the efficacy of Ke formula in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and elucidate its mechanism of action. A Balb/c nude mouse xenograft model using A549 cells was previously established. The mice were randomly divided into normal, mock, Ke, cisplatin (DDP), and co-formulated (Ke + DDP) groups. After 15 days of drug administration, the animals were sacrificed, body weight and tumor volume were recorded, and the tumor-inhibiting rate was calculated. A cancer pathway finder polymerase chain reaction array was used to monitor the expression of 88 genes in tumor tissue samples. The potential antiproliferation mechanism was also investigated by Western blot analysis. Ke formula minimized chemotherapy-related weight loss in tumor-bearing mice without exhibiting distinct toxicity. Ke formula also inhibited tumor growth, which was associated with the downregulation of genes in the PI3K/AKT, MAPK, and WNT/β-catenin pathways. The results from Western blot analyses further indicated that Ke blocked the cell cycle progression at the G1/S phase and induced apoptosis mainly via the PI3K/AKT pathway. Ke formula inhibits tumor growth in an A549 xenograft mouse model with no obvious side effects. Moreover, Ke exhibits synergistic antitumor effects when combined with DDP. The mechanism of action of Ke is to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by suppressing the PI3K/AKT pathway. Further research will be required to determine the mechanism of action behind the synergistic effect of Ke and DDP.

Application of propensity scores to explore the effect of public reporting of medicine use information on rational drug use in China: a quasi-experimental design.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaopeng; Wang, Lijun; Zhang, Xinping

2014-11-11

Transparency has become a hottest topic and a growing movement in the health care system worldwide. This study used a quasi-experimental design method to explore whether public reporting of medicine use information can improve rational drug use. 20 township hospitals and 274 doctors of City Y in Hubei Province, China were divided into the intervention and control groups on the basis of their characteristics. In the intervention group, the values and rankings of the average expenditure per prescription, percentage of prescriptions requiring antibiotics and percentage of prescriptions requiring injections of each hospital and doctor were publicly released to patients and doctors in an appropriate format monthly. Data were gathered both four months before and after the intervention. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to minimize the observed covariate (gender, age, experience, education level, title, and monthly income) differences in the doctors' characteristics. 108 pairs of doctors were obtained after PSM. Chi-square test and t-test were employed to explore the effect of public reporting of medicine use information on rational drug use. The study was approved by the Committee of Tongji Medical College, Hua Zhong University of Science and Technology (IORG No: IORG0003571). In baseline, the average expenditure per prescription of the 274 doctors was 42.82 RMB yuan (USD 6.97), the percentage of prescriptions requiring antibiotics was 63.00%, and the percentage of prescriptions requiring injections was 70.79%, all higher than the average of Hubei Province and the standard recommended by WHO. Before the intervention all the three indicators were all comparable (p > 0.05), whereas after the intervention, a significant difference (p < 0.05) was found for the percentage of prescriptions requiring injections between the intervention (64.66%) and control groups (70.52%). Irrational drug use remains a policy issue in township hospitals in the study area. We demonstrated that publicly reporting medicine use information could decrease the percentage of prescriptions requiring injections in township hospitals in China, but this effect was not observed on prescription costs and antibiotics use. Analyses of the mechanism and long-term effect of public reporting of medicine use information are recommended for further studies.

The African and Pacific Superplume Structures Constrained by Assembly and Breakup of Pangea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, N.; Zhong, S.; Leng, W.; Li, Z.

2009-12-01

Seismic tomography studies indicate that the Earth’s mantle structure is characterized by African and Pacific seismically slow velocity anomalies (i.e., superplumes) and circum-Pacific seismically fast anomalies (i.e., a globally spherical harmonic degree-2 structure). McNamara and Zhong (2005) have demonstrated that the African and Pacific superplume structures result from dynamic interaction between mantle convection and surface plate motion history in the last 120 Ma. However, their models produce slightly stronger degree 3 structure than degree 2 near the CMB. Here, we construct a proxy model of plate motions for the African hemisphere for the last 450 Ma since the Early Paleozoic using the paleogeographic reconstruction of continents constrained by paleomagnetic and geological observations. Using this proxy model for plate motion history as the time-dependent surface boundary conditions for a 3-dimensional spherical model of thermochemical mantle convection, we calculate the present-day mantle structure and explore the evolution of mantle structures since the Early Paleozoic. Our model calculations reproduce well the present-day mantle structure including the African and Pacific superplumes. The power spectra of our calculated present-day temperature field shows that the strongest power occurs at degree 2 in the lower mantle while in the upper mantle the strongest power is at degree 3. The degree correlation between tomography model S20RTS and our calculated temperature field shows a high correlation at the degree 1 and degree 2 in the lower mantle while the upper mantle and the short wavelength structures do not correlate well. The summed degree correlation for the lower mantle shows a relatively good correlation for the bottom 300 km of the mantle but the correlation is significantly reduced at depth 600 km above the CMB. For the evolution of mantle structures, we focus on the evolution of the African superplume. Our results suggest that the mantle in the African hemisphere before the assembly of Pangea is predominated by the cold downwelling structure resulting from plate convergence between Gondwana and Laurussia and the cold Africa hemisphere changes to hot due to the return flows from the circum-Pangea subduction after Pangea formation. Based on our results, we suggest that the African superplume structure may be formed no earlier than ~230 Ma ago (i.e., ~100 Ma after the assembly of Pangea).

A Model for Earth's Mantle Dynamic History for The Last 500 Ma and Its Implications for Continental Vertical Motions and Geomagnetism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, S.; Olson, P.; Zhang, N.

2012-12-01

Seismic tomography studies indicate that the Earth's mantle structure is characterized by African and Pacific seismically slow velocity anomalies (i.e., thermochemical piles) and circum Pacific seismically fast anomalies (i.e., degree 2) in the lower mantle. Mantle convection calculations including plate motion history for the last 120 Ma suggest that these degree 2 thermochemical structures result from plate subduction history (e.g., McNamara and Zhong, 2005). Given the important controls of mantle structure and dynamics on surface tectonics and volcanism and geodynamo in the core, an important question is the long-term evolution of mantle structures, for example, was the mantle structure in the past similar to the present-day's degree 2 structure, or significantly different from the present day? To address this question, we constructed a proxy model of plate motions for the African hemisphere for the last 450 Ma using the paleogeographic reconstruction of continents constrained by paleomagnetic and geological observations (e.g., Pangea assembly and breakup). Coupled with assumed oceanic plate motions for the Pacific hemisphere before 120 Ma, this proxy model for the plate motion history is used in three dimensional spherical models of mantle convection to study the evolution of mantle structure since the Early Paleozoic. Our model calculations reproduce well the present day degree 2 mantle structure including the African and Pacific thermochemical piles, and present-day surface heat flux, bathymetry and dynamic topography. Our results suggest that while the mantle in the African hemisphere before the assembly of Pangea is dominated by the cold downwelling structure resulting from plate convergence between Gondwana and Laurussia, it is unlikely that the bulk of the African superplume structure can be formed before ˜230 Ma. Particularly, the last 120 Ma plate motion plays an important role in generating the African thermochemical pile. We reconstruct temporal evolution of the surface and CMB heat fluxes and continental vertical motions since the Paleozoic. The predicted vertical motion histories for the Slave and Kaapvaal cratons are consistent with those inferred from thermochronology studies. The predicted CMB heat fluxes were used as time-dependent boundary conditions for geodynamo simulations. And the geodynamo modelling shows that the time-dependent CMB heat fluxes may explain to the first order the frequencies of geomagnetic polarity reversals (e.g., superchrons).

Top five medical innovations in China mainland since Xinhai revolution [1911]: results of AME survey-002.

PubMed

Wáng, Yì-Xiáng J; Xiao, Fan

2015-06-01

This survey aims to scrutinize important medical innovations in Chinese mainland since Xinhai (Hsin-hai) revolution in 1911, which marked the end of Manchurian imperial rule and the beginning of China's republican era. An online cross-sectional survey was carried out during the period of Dec 29, 2014 to Feb 5, 2015, totaling 37 days. The survey was conducted on the platform provided by DXY (www.dxy.cn), which is the largest medical and paramedical related website in China. An email was sent to all DXY registered users to invite them to participate in a 5-minute survey. The participants were asked to nominate up to four important medical innovations in China mainland since Xinhai revolution. The participant could select 'zero' which means he/she felt there was no important medical innovations, or he/she did not know important medical innovations. It was noted that important medical innovations refer to (I) those with practical and almost immediate significance to improve healthcare; (II) should not only be introducing western technique to China, but those involve major improvement of existing western techniques count; (III) should not be those with important theoretical discovery but did not have almost immediate significance to improve healthcare. In total 1,513 DXY users participated in the voting. Totally 489 (32.3%), 441 (29.1%), 342 (22.6%), 150 (9.9%), 91 (6.0%) participants provided 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 nominations respectively. (I) Artemisine (Qinghaosu) for malaria treatment (Project 523 team, 1972); (II) arsenic Trioxide (As2O3) for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) treatment (ZHANG Ting-Dong and colleagues, 1970s); (III) limb re-plantation (CHEN Zhong-Wei and colleagues, 1963); (IV) all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) for APL treatment (WANG Zhen-Yi and colleagues, 1988); and (V) Wu's mask for plague prevention (WU Lien-The, 1910), were voted as the top five innovations in China mainland since Xinhai revolution, with 375, 96, 91, 53, and 8 votes respectively. In this voting exercise, five achievements were voted as top innovations in China mainland since Xinhai revolution. However, only ATRA for APL treatment was accomplished after the ending of Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in year 1976 in China.

BOOK REVIEW: Image-Guided IMRT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayles, P.

2006-12-01

This book provides comprehensive coverage of the subject of intensity modulated radiotherapy and the associated imaging. Most of the names associated with advanced radiotherapy can be found among the 80 authors and the book is therefore an authoritative reference text. The early chapters deal with the basic principles and include an interesting comparison between views of quality assurance for IMRT from Europe and North America. It is refreshing to see that the advice given has moved on from the concept of individual patient based quality control to more generic testing of the delivery system. However, the point is made that the whole process including the data transfer needs to be quality assured and the need for thorough commissioning of the process is emphasised. The `tricks' needed to achieve a dose based IMRT plan are well covered by the group at Ghent and there is an interesting summary of biological aspects of treatment planning for IMRT by Andrzej Niemierko. The middle section of the book deals with advanced imaging aspects of both treatment planning and delivery. The contributions of PET and MR imaging are well covered and there is a rather rambling section on molecular imaging. Image guidance in radiotherapy treatment is addressed including the concept of adaptive radiotherapy. The treatment aspects could perhaps have merited some more coverage, but there is a very thorough discussion of 4D techniques. The final section of the book considers each site of the body in turn. This will be found useful by those wishing to embark on IMRT in a new area, although some of the sections are more comprehensive than others. The book contains a wealth of interesting and thought provoking articles giving details as well as broad principles, and would be a useful addition to every departmental library. The editors have done a good job of ensuring that the different chapters are complementary, and of encouraging a systematic approach to the descriptions of IMRT in different anatomical sites, each of which ends with a look ahead to the future. It is something of a challenge to keep a book devoted to a rapidly developing technique up to date. Inspection of the references suggests that most of the text was completed in 2004, but the choice of world renowned authors means that the text very much represents the state of the art. The book is well presented with many colour images and justifies its £110 price tag. However, there are some signs of it having been produced within a short time scale, such as an inadequate index which cannot be relied on to lead the reader to all, or even the most relevant, discussion on a particular topic. This book should make a significant contribution to widening the use of this important advance in radiation therapy techniques.

PREFACE: 10th Summer School on Theoretical Physics 'Symmetry and Structural Properties of Condensed Matter'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lulek, Tadeusz; Wal, Andrzej; Lulek, Barbara

2010-03-01

This volume contains the Proceedings of the Tenth Summer School on Theoretical Physics under the banner title 'Symmetry and Structural Properties of Condensed Matter' (SSPCM 2009). The School was organized by Rzeszow University of Technology, Poland, in cooperation with AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland, and took place on 2-9 September 2009 in Myczkowce, Poland. With this meeting we have reached the round number ten of the series of biannual SSPCM schools, which started in 1990 and were focused on some advanced mathematical methods of condensed matter physics. The first five meetings were held in Zajaczkowo near Poznan, under the auspices of The Institute of Physics of Adam Mickiewicz University, and the last five in Myczkowce near Rzeszów, in the south-eastern part of Poland. Within these two decades several young workers who started at kindergarten lectures at SSPCM, have now reached their PhD degrees, professorships and authority. Proceedings of the first seven SSPCM meetings were published as separate volumes by World Scientific, and the last two as volumes 30 and 104 of Journal of Physics: Conference Series. The present meeting is also the third of the last schools which put the emphasis on quantum informatics. The main topics of our jubilee SSPCM'09 are the following: Information processing, entanglement, and tensor calculus, Integrable models and unitary symmetry, Finite systems and nanophysics. The Proceedings are divided into three parts accordingly. The school gathered together 55 participants from seven countries and several scientific centers in Poland, accommodating again advanced research with young collaborators and students. Acknowledgements The Organizing Committee would like to express its gratitude to all participants for their many activities during the School and for creating a friendly and inspiring atmosphere within our SSPCM society. Special thanks are due to all lecturers for preparing and presenting their talks and also for several valuable discussion. We would like to express our thanks to all those who prepared manuscripts, to all referees who spent their time to significantly improve our elaborations, and thus the quality of this volume, to all members of our International Advisory Committee and to chairmen for their polite and efficient leading of sessions. It is our pleasure to express special gratitude to The Nicolas C Metropolis Mathematics Foundation (Los Alamos, USA) for substantial financial support of our three last SSPCM schools. Indeed, it provided an essential basis for performing these meetings. We direct this gratitude to Professor James D Louck, the President of this Foundation. Also, we were happy to hear from Professor Louck that this series of schools has had an important influence on his activities on application of unitary groups in physics. It has resulted in a new monograph: James D Louck, 'Unitary Symmetry and Combinatorics', World Scientific, New Jersey 2008, which was presented at our jubilee meeting. Tadeusz Lulek, Andrzej Wal and Barbara Lulek

Opioid-induced preconditioning: recent advances and future perspectives.

PubMed

Peart, Jason N; Gross, Eric R; Gross, Garrett J

2005-01-01

Opioids, named by Acheson for compounds with morphine-like actions despite chemically distinct structures, have received much research interest, particularly for their central nervous system (CNS) actions involved in pain management, resulting in thousands of scientific papers focusing on their effects on the CNS and other organ systems. A more recent area which may have great clinical importance concerns the role of opioids, either endogenous or exogenous compounds, in limiting the pathogenesis of ischemia-reperfusion injury in heart and brain. The role of endogenous opioids in hibernation provides tantalizing evidence for the protective potential of opioids against ischemia or hypoxia. Mammalian hibernation, a distinct energy-conserving state, is associated with depletion of energy stores, intracellular acidosis and hypoxia, similar to those which occur during ischemia. However, despite the potentially detrimental cellular state induced with hibernation, the myocardium remains resilient for many months. What accounts for the hypoxia-tolerant state is of great interest. During hibernation, circulating levels of opioid peptides are increased dramatically, and indeed, are considered a "trigger" of hibernation. Furthermore, administration of opioid antagonists can effectively reverse hibernation in mammals. Therefore, it is not surprising that activation of opioid receptors has been demonstrated to preserve cellular status following a hypoxic insult, such as ischemia-reperfusion in many model systems including the intestine [Zhang, Y., Wu, Y.X., Hao, Y.B., Dun, Y. Yang, S.P., 2001. Role of endogenous opioid peptides in protection of ischemic preconditioning in rat small intestine. Life Sci. 68, 1013-1019], skeletal muscle [Addison, P.D., Neligan, P.C., Ashrafpour, H., Khan, A., Zhong, A., Moses, M., Forrest, C.R., Pang, C.Y., 2003. Noninvasive remote ischemic preconditioning for global protection of skeletal muscle against infarction. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 285, H1435-H1443], the CNS [Borlongan, C.V., Wang, Y., Su, T.P., 2005. Delta opioid peptide (d-ala 2, d-leu 5) enkephalin: linking hiberation and neuroprotection. Front Biosci. 9, 3392-3398] and the myocardium [Romano, M.A., Seymour, E.M., Berry, J.A., McNish, R.A., Bolling, S.F., 2004. Relative contribution of endogenous opioids to myocardial ischemic tolerance. J Surg Res. 118, 32-37; Peart, J.N., Gross, G.J., 2004a. Exogenous activation of delta- and kappa-opioid receptors affords cardioprotection in isolated murine heart. Basic Res Cardiol. 99(1), 29-37]. For the purpose of this review, we will focus primarily on the protective effects of opioids against post-reperfusion myocardial stunning and infarction.

The Effect of Fe-Ti-rich Cumulate Overturn on Evolution of the Lunar Interior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallik, A.; Ejaz, T.; Shcheka, S.; Garapic, G.; Petitgirard, S.; Blanchard, I.

2017-12-01

The last 5% of magma ocean crystallized Fe-Ti rich cumulates (FTC) emplaced below the anorthitic crust [1]. Due to gravitational instability, FTC underwent diapiric downwelling [2], associated with overturn of the lunar mantle. Petrological studies on Apollo basalts with variable TiO2 place their sources between 1.5-3 GPa. This indicates the presence of heterogeneous Ti-rich domains in the lunar interior which could either be produced by inefficient overturn and mixing [3], or due to post-overturn upwelling of FTC from the core-mantle boundary (CMB) [4]. Also, a seismically attenuating layer at the CMB ( 4.5 GPa) maybe associated with partial melt of overturned FTC [5]. Thus, it is important to investigate the phase equilibria of FTC with and without assimilation with the surrounding mantle, to understand better the effect of the overturn process on lunar evolution. We performed phase equilibria experiments at 2 and 4.5 GPa, 1230 to 1700 °C using a multi-anvil apparatus on FTC and a 1:1 mixture of FTC and mantle composition. FTC produced Fe-Ti rich (FeO 13-26 wt.%, TiO2 11-18 wt.%), Mg-poor (MgO 6-10 wt.%) basalts with residues of clinopyroxene+quartz+Fe-metal±spinel, while the mixture of FTC and mantle produced Fe-Ti-Mg rich (FeO 10-13 wt.%, TiO2 5-11 wt.% and MgO 20-30 wt.%) basalts with residues of orthopyroxene+olivine+Fe-metal±spinel±garnet. We find that partial melting of overturned cumulates within the lunar mantle can reproduce certain chemical attributes of Apollo high Ti basalts. Also, to test whether the partial melt of overturned cumulates can be stable at the CMB to produce the attenuating layer, we estimated the densities of these melt compositions using the published range of KT and K' of high Fe-Ti picrites. We find that the densities obtained from the published spread in K' and KT values yield inconclusive results about the stability of these partial melts at the CMB. This is being resolved by in-situ experimental determination of the densities of the high Fe-Ti melt compositions, currently underway. If these partial melts are indeed stable at the CMB, they bracket the present-day CMB temperature between 1300-1490 °C (5 to 30% partial melting [5]).[1] Snyder et al. (1992), GCA [2] Hess & Permentier (1995), EPSL [3] Brown & Grove (2015), GCA [4] Zhong et al. (2000), EPSL [5] Weber et al. (2011), Science

The rheology of water-methanol slurries: Implications for cryovolcanism on Titan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitchell, K. L.; Zhong, F.; Hays, C. C.; Choukroun, M.; Barmatz, M. B.; Kargel, J. S.

2008-12-01

Cassini SAR imagery has revealed the presence of landforms on the surface of Titan that may be cryovolcanic flows and domes [1,2]. In order to relate the observed surface features to the geological processes and chemistries that produced them, it is necessary to construct rheological flow models at cryogenic temperatures. We report preliminary cryogenic rheological measurements on a binary 40 wt% methanol-water composition, used as a path finding analog for characterizing the rheological properties of candidate cryo-magmas and eruptant materials [3]. Work by Kargel et al. [4] used a cryogenic rotational viscometer and a viscous drop experiment to determine the viscosity of ammonia-water slurries, a likely composition of Titan cryomagma. This work revealed that the materials in question have viscosities that were controlled by the pure liquid viscosity and the solid fraction, the latter also resulting in shear-rate dependence. Our cryogenic rheological measurements were conducted between 90-300 K using a home- built LN2 cooled cryogenic rotational viscometer system, with data acquisition and control achieved using the National Instruments LabView program. We report the results of a series of measurements performed as a function of temperature and rotational strain rate. The methanol-water mixture exhibited a variety of rheological response behaviors under these experimental conditions; i.e., development of yield stress-like behaviors, shear-rate dependence, and thixotropic behavior, even at relatively low crystal fractions, which to our knowledge have not been previously observed or reported. At fixed shear rate our data are fit well by the Andrade equation, with the activation energy modified by the solid volume fraction. At fixed temperature, depending on shearing history, a Cross model describes our data well over a wide shear rate range. A Bingham plastic model appears to be a good constitutive model for the data measured at high shear rates when the shear was global, but at low shear stresses the approximation becomes inaccurate because the Bingham yield stress is only an approximation to what is actually a high viscosity creep behavior. This yield-stress-like creep behavior implies that initialization of levees in cryolava flows is more likely than would be inferred from previous cryo-rheological studies and may provide a partial explanation for features observed by the Cassini spacecraft on Titan, which are interpreted as steep-sided volcanic constructs [2]. This analysis will be critical in the development of future experiments designed to measure all the parameters controlling cryomagma rheologies for input into flow models. [1] Elachi et al. (2005) Science 308, 970-974. [2] Lopes et al. (2007) Icarus 186, 395-412. [3] Zhong et al. (in review) Icarus. [4] Kargel et al. (1991) Icarus 89, 93-11.

Sensory Dysfunction and Sexuality in the U.S. Population of Older Adults.

PubMed

Zhong, Selena; Pinto, Jayant M; Wroblewski, Kristen E; McClintock, Martha K

2018-04-01

The sexual experience is shaped by sensory function; with aging, sensory dysfunction may interfere with sexuality and sexual behavior between partners. Specifically, older adults with age-related sensory dysfunction may have less sexual activity than those with better sensory function. In addition, since sexual desire and attraction rests in part upon sensory function, sensory dysfunction may also be associated with less sexual motivation. To test the association between sexual activity and motivation in older adults and their sensory dysfunction. Sensory dysfunction was measured both by global sensory impairment (a validated measure of dysfunction shared among the 5 classic senses: olfaction, vision, taste, touch, hearing) and by total sensory burden (cumulative sensory loss). Sexual activity was quantified by frequency and type of sexual behavior. Sexual motivation was measured by the frequency of sexual ideation and the importance of sex to the respondent. We used cross-sectional data from a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults (aged 57-85 years) in the United States (National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, N = 3,005) in logistic regression analyses. Sexual activity, sexual motivation, and satisfaction with the sexual relationship were self-reported. Older adults with sensory dysfunction were less likely to be sexually active-an association that persisted when accounting for other factors that also affected sexual activity (age, gender, partnered status, mental and physical health, and relationship satisfaction). Nonetheless, sensory dysfunction did not impair sexual motivation, nor affect the physical and emotional satisfaction with the sexual relationship. Among currently sexually active older adults, sensory dysfunction did not affect the frequency of sex or the type of sexual activity (foreplay, vaginal intercourse, or oral sex). These results were the same for 2 different measures of sensory dysfunction. This is the first nationally representative study of sexuality and multisensory dysfunction in community-dwelling older adults. 4 of the 5 classic senses were measured with objective tests, and hearing was rated by interviewers in the context of their conversation. Medical and health care interventions that can reduce the burden of sensory dysfunction may improve older adults' sexual experience. Sensory dysfunction is associated with sexual inactivity, but not with sexual motivation. Among those who are sexually active, sensory dysfunction did not interfere with sexual expression. Improving the sexual experience of older adults requires a focus on sensory dysfunction as an impediment to sexual activity given that older adults remain sexually motivated. Zhong S, Pinto JM, Wroblewski KE, et al. Sensory Dysfunction and Sexuality in the U.S. Population of Older Adults. J Sex Med 2018;15:502-509. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of Si and Al concentrations on the removal of U(VI) in the alkaline conditions created by NH3 gas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Katsenovich, Yelena P.; Cardona, Claudia; Lapierre, Robert

2016-10-01

Remediation of uranium in the deep unsaturated zone is a challenging task, especially in the presence of oxygenated, high-carbonate alkalinity soil and pore water composition typical for arid and semi-arid environments of the western regions of the U.S. This study evaluates the effect of various pore water constituencies on changes of uranium concentrations in alkaline conditions, created in the presence of reactive gases such as NH3 to effectively mitigate uranium contamination in the vadose zone sediments. This contaminant is a potential source for groundwater pollution through slow infiltration of soluble and highly mobile uranium species towards the water table. Themore » objective of this research was to evaluate uranium sequestration efficiencies in the alkaline synthetic pore water solutions prepared in a broad range of Si, Al, and bicarbonate concentrations typically present in field systems of the western U.S. regions and identify solid uranium-bearing phases that result from ammonia gas treatment. In previous studies (Szecsody et al. 2012; Zhong et al. 2015), although uranium mobility was greatly decreased, solid phases could not be identified at the low uranium concentrations in field-contaminated sediments. The chemical composition of the synthetic pore water used in the experiments varied for silica (5–250 mM), Al3+ (2.8 or 5 mM), HCO3- (0–100 mM) and U(VI) (0.0021–0.0084 mM) in the solution mixture. Experiment results suggested that solutions with Si concentrations higher than 50 mM exhibited greater removal efficiencies of U(VI). Solutions with higher concentrations of bicarbonate also exhibited greater removal efficiencies for Si, Al, and U(VI). Overall, the silica polymerization reaction leading to the formation of Si gel correlated with the removal of U(VI), Si, and Al from the solution. If no Si polymerization was observed, there was no U removal from the supernatant solution. Speciation modeling indicated that the dominant uranium species in the presence of bicarbonate were anionic uranyl carbonate complexes (UO2(CO3)2-2 and UO2(CO3)3-4) and in the absence of bicarbonate in the solution, U(VI) major species appeared as uranyl-hydroxide (UO2(OH)3- and UO2(OH)4-2) species. The model also predicted the formation of uranium solid phases. Uranyl carbonates as rutherfordine [UO2CO3], cejkaite [Na4(UO2)(CO3)3] and hydrated uranyl silicate phases as Na-boltwoodite [Na(UO2)(SiO4)·1.5H2O] were anticipated for most of the synthetic pore water compositions amended from medium (2.9 mM) to high (100 mM) bicarbonate concentrations.« less

Linking Tengchong Terrane in SW Yunnan with Lhasa Terrane in southern Tibet through magmatic correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Jincheng; Zhu, Dicheng; Dong, Guochen; Zhao, Zhidan; Wang, Qing

2016-04-01

New zircon U-Pb data, along with the data reported in the literature, reveal five phases of magmatic activity in the Tengchong Terrane since the Early Paleozoic with spatial and temporal variations summarized as: Cambrian-Ordovician (500-460 Ma) to the eastern, minor Triassic (245-206 Ma) in the eastern and western, abundant Early Cretaceous (131-114 Ma) in the eastern, extensive Late Cretaceous (77-65 Ma) in the central, and Paleocene-Eocene (65-49 Ma) in the central and western Tengchong Terrane, in which the Cretaceous-Eocene magmatism was migrated from east to west (Xu et al., 2012). The increased zircon eHf(t) of the Early Cretaceous granitoids from -12.3 to -1.4 at ca. 131-122 Ma to -4.6 to +7.1 at ca. 122-114 Ma identified for the first time in this study and the magmatic flare-up at ca. 53 Ma in the central and western Tengchong Terrane (Wang et al., 2014, Ma et al., 2015) indicate the increased contributions from mantle- or juvenile crust-derived components. The spatial and temporal variations and changing magmatic compositions with time in the Tengchong Terrane closely resemble the Lhasa Terrane in southern Tibet. Such similarities, together with the data of stratigraphy and paleobiogeography (Zhang et al., 2013), enable us to propose that the Tengchong Terrane in SW Yunnan is most likely linked with the Lhasa Terrane in southern Tibet, both of which experience similar tectonomagmatic histories since the Early Paleozoic. References Ma, L.Y., Wang, Y.J., Fan, W.M., Geng, H.Y., Cai, Y.F., Zhong, H., Liu, H.C., Xing, X.W., 2014. Petrogenesis of the early Eocene I-type granites in west Yingjiang (SW Yunnan) and its implication for the eastern extension of the Gangdese batholiths. Gondwana Research 25, 401-419. Wang, Y.J., Zhang, L.M., Cawood, P.A., Ma, L.Y., Fan, W.M., Zhang, A.M., Zhang, Y.Z., Bi, X.W., 2014. Eocene supra-subduction zone mafic magmatism in the Sibumasu Block of SW Yunnan: Implications for Neotethyan subduction and India-Asia collision. Lithos 206-207, 384-399. Xu, Y.G., Yang, Q.J., Lan, J.B., Luo, Z.Y., Huang, X.L., Shi, Y.R., Xie, L.W., 2012. Temporal-spatial distribution and tectonic implications of the batholiths in the Gaoligong-Tengliang-Yingjiang area, western Yunnan: Constraints from zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 53, 151-175. Zhang, Y.C., Shi, G.R., Shen, S.Z., 2013. A review of Permian stratigraphy, paleobiogeography and palaeogeography of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Gondwana Research 24, 55-76.

PREFACE: DISCRETE 2012 - Third Symposium on Prospects in the Physics of Discrete Symmetries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branco, G. C.; Emmanuel-Costa, D.; González Felipe, R.; Joaquim, F. R.; Lavoura, L.; Palomares-Ruiz, S.; Rebelo, M. N.; Romão, J. C.; Silva, J. P.

2013-07-01

The Third Symposium on Prospects in the Physics of Discrete Symmetries (DISCRETE 2012) was held at Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal, from 3-7 December 2012 and was organised by Centro de Física Teórica de Partículas (CFTP) of Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa. This is the sequel to the Symposia that was successfully organised in Valéncia in 2008 and in Rome in 2010. The topics covered included: T, C, P, CP symmetries CPT symmetry, decoherence, Lorentz symmetry breaking Discrete symmetries and models of flavour mixing Baryogenesis, leptogenesis Neutrino physics Electroweak symmetry breaking and physics beyond the Standard Model Accidental symmetries (B, L conservation) Experimental prospects at LHC Dark matter searches Super flavour factories, and other new experimental facilities The Symposium was organised in plenary sessions with a total of 24 invited talks, and parallel sessions with a total of 70 talks, including both invited and selected contributions from the submitted abstracts. The speakers of the plenary sessions were: Ignatios Antoniadis, Abdelhak Djouadi, Rabindra Mohapatra, André Rubbia, Alexei Yu Smirnov, José Bernabéu, Marco Cirelli, Apostolos Pilaftsis, Antonio Di Domenico, Robertus Potting, João Varela, Frank Rathmann, Michele Gallinaro, Dumitru Ghilencea, Neville Harnew, John Walsh, Patrícia Conde Muíño, Juan Aguilar-Saavedra, Nick Mavromatos, Ulrich Nierste, Ferruccio Feruglio, Vasiliki Mitsou, Masanori Yamauchi, and Marcello Giorgi. The Symposium was attended by about 140 participants. Among the social events, there was a social dinner in the historical Associação Comercial de Lisboa, which included a musical performance of 'Fado', the traditional music from Lisbon. The next symposium of the series will be organised by King's College, London University, UK, from 1-5 December 2014. Guest Editors G C Branco, D Emmanuel-Costa, R González Felipe, F R Joaquim, L Lavoura, S Palomares-Ruiz, M N Rebelo, J C Romão, J P Silva and J I Silva-Marcos International Advisory CommitteeLocal Organising Committee Francisco del Águila (Granada)From CFTP Jose Bernabéu (Valencia) Francisco Botella (Valencia)G C Branco Andrzej Buras (Munich)D Emmanuel-Costa Marcos Cerrada (Madrid)R González Felipe Pierluigi Campana (CERN)F R Joaquim Antonio Di Domenico (Rome)L Lavoura John Ellis (CERN)S Palomares-Ruiz Fernando Ferroni (Rome)M N Rebelo Luis Garrido (Barcelona)J C Romão Marcello Giorgi (Pisa)J P Silva Neville Harnew (Oxford)J I Silva-Marcos Maria José Herrero (Madrid) David Hitlin (Caltech)From LIP Gino Isidori (Frascati) Guido Martinelli (Rome)G Barreira Antonio Masiero (Padua)J Varela Nickolaos Mavromatos (London) Vasiliki Mitsou (Valencia) Hitoshi Murayama (Berkeley) Tatsuya Nakada (Lausanne) Antonio Pich (Valencia) Apostolos Pilaftsis (Manchester) Stefan Pokorski (Warsaw) Fabio Zwirner (Padua) Secretariat Dulce Conceição Sandra Oliveira Cláudia Romão discrete2012@cftp.ist.utl.pt http://indico.cern.ch/event/discrete2012 Sponsors CFTP - Centro de Física Teórica de Partículas LIP - Laboratório de Instrumentação e Física Experimental de Partículas IST - Instituto Superior Técnico FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia Group picture The PDF also contains the conference poster and a list of participants.

Molecular dynamics studies on the buffalo prion protein.

PubMed

Zhang, Jiapu; Wang, Feng; Chatterjee, Subhojyoti

2016-01-01

It was reported that buffalo is a low susceptibility species resisting to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) (same as rabbits, horses, and dogs). TSEs, also called prion diseases, are invariably fatal and highly infectious neurodegenerative diseases that affect a wide variety of species (except for rabbits, dogs, horses, and buffalo), manifesting as scrapie in sheep and goats; bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or "mad-cow" disease) in cattle; chronic wasting disease in deer and elk; and Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome, fatal familial insomnia, and Kulu in humans etc. In molecular structures, these neurodegenerative diseases are caused by the conversion from a soluble normal cellular prion protein (PrP(C)), predominantly with α-helices, into insoluble abnormally folded infectious prions (PrP(Sc)), rich in β-sheets. In this article, we studied the molecular structure and structural dynamics of buffalo PrP(C) (BufPrP(C)), in order to understand the reason why buffalo is resistant to prion diseases. We first did molecular modeling of a homology structure constructed by one mutation at residue 143 from the NMR structure of bovine and cattle PrP(124-227); immediately we found that for BufPrP(C)(124-227), there are five hydrogen bonds (HBs) at Asn143, but at this position, bovine/cattle do not have such HBs. Same as that of rabbits, dogs, or horses, our molecular dynamics studies also revealed there is a strong salt bridge (SB) ASP178-ARG164 (O-N) keeping the β2-α2 loop linked in buffalo. We also found there is a very strong HB SER170-TYR218 linking this loop with the C-terminal end of α-helix H3. Other information, such as (i) there is a very strong SB HIS187-ARG156 (N-O) linking α-helices H2 and H1 (if mutation H187R is made at position 187, then the hydrophobic core of PrP(C) will be exposed (L.H. Zhong (2010). Exposure of hydrophobic core in human prion protein pathogenic mutant H187R. Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics 28(3), 355-361)), (ii) at D178, there is a HB Y169-D178 and a polar contact R164-D178 for BufPrP(C) instead of a polar contact Q168-D178 for bovine PrP(C) (C.J. Cheng, & V. Daggett. (2014). Molecular dynamics simulations capture the misfolding of the bovine prion protein at acidic pH. Biomolecules 4(1), 181-201), (iii) BufPrP(C) owns three 310 helices at 125-127, 152-156, and in the β2-α2 loop, respectively, and (iv) in the β2-α2 loop, there is a strong π-π stacking and a strong π-cation F175-Y169-R164.(N)NH2, has been discovered.

Relationship between deep structure and oil-gas in the eastern Tarim Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Changqing; Qu, Chen; Han, Jianguang

2017-04-01

The Tarim Basin is a large composite superimposed basin which developed in the Presinian continental basement. It is an important area for oil and gas replacement in China. In the eastern part of Tarim Basin, the exploration and research degree is very low and less system, especially in the study of tectonic evolution and physical property change. Basing on the study of geophysics, drilling and regional geological data in this area, analysis of comprehensive geophysical, geological and geophysical analysis comparison are lunched by new methods and new technology of geophysical exploration. Fault, tectonic evolution and change of deep character in the eastern Tarim Basin are analyzed in system. Through in-depth study and understanding of the deep structure and physical changes of the eastern region, we obtain the fault characteristics in the study area and the deep structure and physical change maps to better guide the oil and gas exploration in this area. The east area is located in the eastern Tarim Basin, west from the Garr Man depression, Well Kunan 1 - Well Gucheng 4 line to the East, north to Kuruketage uplift group near Qunke 1 wells, south to Cherchen fault zone, east to Lop Nor depression, an area of about 9 * 104 square kilometres, Including the East of Garr Man sag, Yingjisu depression, Kongquehe slope, Tadong low uplift and the Lop Nor uplift, five two grade tectonic units. The east area of Tarim is belonging to Tarim plate. It changes with the evolution of the Tarim plate. The Tarim plate is closely related to the collision between the Yining - the Junggar plate, the Siberia plate and the southern Qiangtang - the central Kunlun plate. Therefore, it creates a complex tectonic pattern in the eastern Tarim basin. Earth electromagnetic, gravity, deep seismic and other geophysical data are processed by a new generation of geophysical information theory and method, including multi-scale inversion of potential field inversion (Hou and Yang, 2011), 3D magnetotelluric data (Yang et al., 2012) and micro seismic wave field information recognition technology in the eastern Tarim Basin. Combining the information of the deep faults, tectonic evolution characteristics of the study area and the physical changes from geological data, we analyze the relationship between the change of the physical structure and the oil and gas, and predict the favorable oil and gas area and the exploration target area by information extraction, processing and interpretation analysis based on integrated geophysical technology. References 1. Hou, Z. Z., W. C. Yang, 2011, multi scale gravity field inversion and density structure in Tarim Basin: Chinese science, 41, 29-39. 2. Yang W. C., J. L. Wang, H. Z. Zhong, 2012, The main port of the Tarim Basin Analysis of magnetic field and magnetic source structure: Chinese Journal of Geophysics, 55, 1278-1287.

WE-A-201-02: Modern Statistical Modeling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Niemierko, A.

Chris Marshall: Memorial Introduction Donald Edmonds Herbert Jr., or Don to his colleagues and friends, exemplified the “big tent” vision of medical physics, specializing in Applied Statistics and Dynamical Systems theory. He saw, more clearly than most, that “Making models is the difference between doing science and just fooling around [ref Woodworth, 2004]”. Don developed an interest in chemistry at school by “reading a book” - a recurring theme in his story. He was awarded a Westinghouse Science scholarship and attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology (later Carnegie Mellon University) where his interest turned to physics and led to amore » BS in Physics after transfer to Northwestern University. After (voluntary) service in the Navy he earned his MS in Physics from the University of Oklahoma, which led him to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore to pursue a PhD. The early death of his wife led him to take a salaried position in the Physics Department of Colorado College in Colorado Springs so as to better care for their young daughter. There, a chance invitation from Dr. Juan del Regato to teach physics to residents at the Penrose Cancer Hospital introduced him to Medical Physics, and he decided to enter the field. He received his PhD from the University of London (UK) under Prof. Joseph Rotblat, where I first met him, and where he taught himself statistics. He returned to Penrose as a clinical medical physicist, also largely self-taught. In 1975 he formalized an evolving interest in statistical analysis as Professor of Radiology and Head of the Division of Physics and Statistics at the College of Medicine of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL where he remained for the rest of his career. He also served as the first Director of their Bio-Statistics and Epidemiology Core Unit working in part on a sickle-cell disease. After retirement he remained active as Professor Emeritus. Don served for several years as a consultant to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and may be remembered for his critique of the National Academy of Sciences BEIR III report (stating that their methodology “imposes a Delphic quality to the .. risk estimates”.) This led to his appointment as a member of the BEIR V committee. Don presented refresher courses at the AAPM, ASTRO and RSNA meetings and was active in the AAPM as a member or chair of several committees. He was the principal author of AAPM Report 43, which is essentially a critique of established clinical studies prior to 1992. He was co-editor of the Proceedings of many symposia on Time, Dose and Fractionation held in Madison, Wisconsin. He received the AAPM lifetime Achievement award in 2004. Don’s second wife of 46 years, Ann, predeceased him and he is survived by daughters Hillary and Emily, son John and two grandsons. Don was a true gentleman with a unique and erudite writing style illuminated by pithy quotations. If he had a fault it was, perhaps, that he did not realize how much smarter he was than the rest of us. This presentation draws heavily on a biography and video interview in the History and Heritage section of the AAPM website. The quote is his own. Andrzej Niemierko: Statistical modeling plays an essential role in modern medicine for quantitative evaluation of the effect of treatment. This session will feature an overview of statistical modeling techniques used for analyzing the many types of research data and an exploration of recent advances in new statistical modeling methodologies. Learning Objectives: To learn basics of statistical modeling methodology. To discuss statistical models that are frequently used in radiation oncology To discuss advanced modern statistical modeling methods and applications.« less

WE-A-201-00: Anne and Donald Herbert Distinguished Lectureship On Modern Statistical Modeling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

Chris Marshall: Memorial Introduction Donald Edmonds Herbert Jr., or Don to his colleagues and friends, exemplified the “big tent” vision of medical physics, specializing in Applied Statistics and Dynamical Systems theory. He saw, more clearly than most, that “Making models is the difference between doing science and just fooling around [ref Woodworth, 2004]”. Don developed an interest in chemistry at school by “reading a book” - a recurring theme in his story. He was awarded a Westinghouse Science scholarship and attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology (later Carnegie Mellon University) where his interest turned to physics and led to amore » BS in Physics after transfer to Northwestern University. After (voluntary) service in the Navy he earned his MS in Physics from the University of Oklahoma, which led him to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore to pursue a PhD. The early death of his wife led him to take a salaried position in the Physics Department of Colorado College in Colorado Springs so as to better care for their young daughter. There, a chance invitation from Dr. Juan del Regato to teach physics to residents at the Penrose Cancer Hospital introduced him to Medical Physics, and he decided to enter the field. He received his PhD from the University of London (UK) under Prof. Joseph Rotblat, where I first met him, and where he taught himself statistics. He returned to Penrose as a clinical medical physicist, also largely self-taught. In 1975 he formalized an evolving interest in statistical analysis as Professor of Radiology and Head of the Division of Physics and Statistics at the College of Medicine of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL where he remained for the rest of his career. He also served as the first Director of their Bio-Statistics and Epidemiology Core Unit working in part on a sickle-cell disease. After retirement he remained active as Professor Emeritus. Don served for several years as a consultant to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and may be remembered for his critique of the National Academy of Sciences BEIR III report (stating that their methodology “imposes a Delphic quality to the .. risk estimates”.) This led to his appointment as a member of the BEIR V committee. Don presented refresher courses at the AAPM, ASTRO and RSNA meetings and was active in the AAPM as a member or chair of several committees. He was the principal author of AAPM Report 43, which is essentially a critique of established clinical studies prior to 1992. He was co-editor of the Proceedings of many symposia on Time, Dose and Fractionation held in Madison, Wisconsin. He received the AAPM lifetime Achievement award in 2004. Don’s second wife of 46 years, Ann, predeceased him and he is survived by daughters Hillary and Emily, son John and two grandsons. Don was a true gentleman with a unique and erudite writing style illuminated by pithy quotations. If he had a fault it was, perhaps, that he did not realize how much smarter he was than the rest of us. This presentation draws heavily on a biography and video interview in the History and Heritage section of the AAPM website. The quote is his own. Andrzej Niemierko: Statistical modeling plays an essential role in modern medicine for quantitative evaluation of the effect of treatment. This session will feature an overview of statistical modeling techniques used for analyzing the many types of research data and an exploration of recent advances in new statistical modeling methodologies. Learning Objectives: To learn basics of statistical modeling methodology. To discuss statistical models that are frequently used in radiation oncology To discuss advanced modern statistical modeling methods and applications.« less

WE-A-201-01: Memorial Introduction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marshall, C.

Chris Marshall: Memorial Introduction Donald Edmonds Herbert Jr., or Don to his colleagues and friends, exemplified the “big tent” vision of medical physics, specializing in Applied Statistics and Dynamical Systems theory. He saw, more clearly than most, that “Making models is the difference between doing science and just fooling around [ref Woodworth, 2004]”. Don developed an interest in chemistry at school by “reading a book” - a recurring theme in his story. He was awarded a Westinghouse Science scholarship and attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology (later Carnegie Mellon University) where his interest turned to physics and led to amore » BS in Physics after transfer to Northwestern University. After (voluntary) service in the Navy he earned his MS in Physics from the University of Oklahoma, which led him to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore to pursue a PhD. The early death of his wife led him to take a salaried position in the Physics Department of Colorado College in Colorado Springs so as to better care for their young daughter. There, a chance invitation from Dr. Juan del Regato to teach physics to residents at the Penrose Cancer Hospital introduced him to Medical Physics, and he decided to enter the field. He received his PhD from the University of London (UK) under Prof. Joseph Rotblat, where I first met him, and where he taught himself statistics. He returned to Penrose as a clinical medical physicist, also largely self-taught. In 1975 he formalized an evolving interest in statistical analysis as Professor of Radiology and Head of the Division of Physics and Statistics at the College of Medicine of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL where he remained for the rest of his career. He also served as the first Director of their Bio-Statistics and Epidemiology Core Unit working in part on a sickle-cell disease. After retirement he remained active as Professor Emeritus. Don served for several years as a consultant to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and may be remembered for his critique of the National Academy of Sciences BEIR III report (stating that their methodology “imposes a Delphic quality to the .. risk estimates”.) This led to his appointment as a member of the BEIR V committee. Don presented refresher courses at the AAPM, ASTRO and RSNA meetings and was active in the AAPM as a member or chair of several committees. He was the principal author of AAPM Report 43, which is essentially a critique of established clinical studies prior to 1992. He was co-editor of the Proceedings of many symposia on Time, Dose and Fractionation held in Madison, Wisconsin. He received the AAPM lifetime Achievement award in 2004. Don’s second wife of 46 years, Ann, predeceased him and he is survived by daughters Hillary and Emily, son John and two grandsons. Don was a true gentleman with a unique and erudite writing style illuminated by pithy quotations. If he had a fault it was, perhaps, that he did not realize how much smarter he was than the rest of us. This presentation draws heavily on a biography and video interview in the History and Heritage section of the AAPM website. The quote is his own. Andrzej Niemierko: Statistical modeling plays an essential role in modern medicine for quantitative evaluation of the effect of treatment. This session will feature an overview of statistical modeling techniques used for analyzing the many types of research data and an exploration of recent advances in new statistical modeling methodologies. Learning Objectives: To learn basics of statistical modeling methodology. To discuss statistical models that are frequently used in radiation oncology To discuss advanced modern statistical modeling methods and applications.« less

Dynamics of Populations of Planetary Systems (IAU C197)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knezevic, Zoran; Milani, Andrea

2005-05-01

1. Resonances and stability of extra-solar planetary systems C. Beaugé, N. Callegari, S. Ferraz-Mello and T. A. Michtchenko; 2. Formation, migration, and stability of extrasolar planetary systems Fred C. Adams; 3. Dynamical evolution of extrasolar planetary systems Ji-Lin Zhou and Yi-Sui Sun; 4. Dynamics of planetesimals: the role of two-body relaxation Eiichiro Kokubo; 5. Fitting orbits Andrzej J. Maciejewski, Krzysztof Gozdziewski and Szymon Kozlowski; 6. The secular planetary three body problem revisited Jacques Henrard and Anne-Sophie Libert; 7. Dynamics of extrasolar systems at the 5/2 resonance: application to 47 UMa Dionyssia Psychoyos and John D. Hadjidemetriou; 8. Our solar system as model for exosolar planetary systems Rudolf Dvorak, Áron Süli and Florian Freistetter; 9. Planetary motion in double stars: the influence of the secondary Elke Pilat-Lohinger; 10. Planetary orbits in double stars: influence of the binary's orbital eccentricity Daniel Benest and Robert Gonczi; 11. Astrometric observations of 51 Peg and Gliese 623 at Pulkovo observatory with 65 cm refractor N. A. Shakht; 12. Observations of 61 Cyg at Pulkovo Denis L. Gorshanov, N. A. Shakht, A. A. Kisselev and E. V. Poliakow; 13. Formation of the solar system by instability Evgeny Griv and Michael Gedalin; 14. Behaviour of a two-planetary system on a cosmogonic time-scale Konstantin V. Kholshevnikov and Eduard D. Kuznetsov; 15. Boundaries of the habitable zone: unifying dynamics, astrophysics, and astrobiology Milan M. Cirkovic; 16. Asteroid proper elements: recent computational progress Fernando Roig and Cristian Beaugé; 17. Asteroid family classification from very large catalogues Anne Lemaitre; 18. Non-gravitational perturbations and evolution of the asteroid main belt David Vokrouhlicky, M. Broz and W. F. Bottke, D. Nesvorny and A. Morbidelli; 19. Diffusion in the asteroid belt Harry Varvoglis; 20. Accurate model for the Yarkovsky effect David Capek and David Vokrouhlicky; 21. The population of asteroids in the 2:1 mean motion resonance with Jupiter revised Miroslav Broz, D. Vokrouhlicky, F. Roig, D. Nesvorny, W. F. Bottke and A. Morbidelli; 22. On the reliability of computation of maximum Lyapunov Characteristic Exponents for asteroids Zoran Knezevic and Slobodan Ninkovic; 23. Nekhoroshev stability estimates for different models of the Trojan asteroids Christos Efthymiopoulos; 24. The role of the resonant 'stickiness' in the dynamical evolution of Jupiter family comets A. Alvarez-Canda and F. Roig; 25. Regimes of stability and scaling relations for the removal time in the asteroid belt: a simple kinetic model and numerical tests Mihailo Cubrovic; 26. Virtual asteroids and virtual impactors Andrea Milani; 27. Asteroid population models Alessandro Morbidelli; 28. Linking Very Large Telescope asteroid observations M. Granvik, K. Muinonen, J. Virtanen, M. Delbó, L. Saba, G. De Sanctis, R. Morbidelli, A. Cellino and E. Tedesco; 29. Collision orbits and phase transition for 2004 AS1 at discovery Jenni Virtanen, K. Muinonen, M. Granvik and T. Laakso; 30. The size of collision solutions in orbital elements space G. B. Valsecchi, A. Rossi, A. Milani and S. R. Chesley; 31. Very short arc orbit determination: the case of asteroid 2004 FU162 Steven R. Chesley; 32. Nonlinear impact monitoring: 2-dimensional sampling Giacomo Tommei; 33. Searching for gravity assisted trajectories to accessible near-Earth asteroids Stefan Berinde; 34. KLENOT - Near Earth and other unusual objects observations Michal Kocer, Jana Tichá and M. Tichy; 35. Transport of comets to the Inner Solar System Hans Rickman; 36. Nongravitational Accelerations on Comets Steven R. Chesley and Donald K. Yeomans; 37. Interaction of planetesimals with the giant planets and the shaping of the trans-Neptunian belt Harold F. Levison and Alessandro Morbidelli; 38. Transport of comets to the outer p

[Study on the relationship between WBC count levels and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Hui and Han nationality of Ningxia].

PubMed

Liu, Yuan; He, Qunpeng; Chen, Lijun; Liu, Herong; Zhao, Chuan; Song, Hui

2015-05-01

To analyze the relationship between WBC count levels and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Hui and Han nationality of Ningxia. Using the method of case-control study, people of regional organizations and institutions aged 20 - 60 who received medical health checkup and endocrine patients in General Hospital of Ningxia Medical College and WuZhong city People's Hospital from October 2011 to October 2012 were enrolled in the study. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria of T2DM patients and control groups, with gender, ethnic and age are not more than 3 years old cases and controls of matching, the T2DM group (case group) of 351 cases and non-T2DM group (control group) of 655 cases were determined. These subjects underwent questionnaire investigation, understand first, like the situation, the way of life, disease and medication history, family history. Physical examination: including height, weight, waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and according to the height and weight to calculate body mass index (BMI), and laboratory tests, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein (LDL-C), blood uric acid (UA ), nmda aminotransferase ( AST) , alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood biochemical indexes. Results Diabetes group of average age (50.28 + 8.32), 194 patients with male, (55.27%), 157 patients with female (44.73%) and control group in average age (50. 17 + 7. 14) , including 337 men (51.45% ) and 318 women (48.55%). Average age, gender, the proportion between the two groups had no statistical significance of difference. The white blood cell value of T2DM group (6.66 x 10(9) ± 1.61 x 10(9)/L) was higher than that of non-T2DM group (6.11 x 10(9) ± 1.49 x 10(9)/L), there was a significant difference (t = -5.430, P < 0.01); Comparing the mean value of white blood cell of Hui (6.459 x 10(9) ± 1.45 x 10(9)/L) and Han nationality (6.169 x 10(9) ± 1.63 x 10(9)/L), there was a significant difference (P < 0.05). T2DM group, the abnormal level of white blood cell was 2.6%, that of non-T2DM group was 0.8%, The T2DM group was significantly higher than that of non-T2DM group (χ2 = 4.168, P = 0.041). Comparing the abnormal level of white blood cell of Hui and Han nationality, there was no significant difference. After adjustment for age, gender, nation, TG, TC, HDL, LDL, ALT, AST and blood glucose, the odds ratios for T2MD were 4.072 in the people with the WBC abnormal people and the WBC normal people. After adjustment for age, gender sick or not, TG, TC, HDL, LDL, ALT, AST and blood glucose, the odds ratios for WBC increased were 1. 582 in the people with the Hui and Han nationality. The WBC count levels are closely associated with type 2 diabetes, and with the increase of the level, the association enhanced gradually, the WBC may be involved in the occurrence and development of type 2 diabetes. there is a certain relationship between ethnic genetic factors and the WBC count level.

Supercontinents, Plate Tectonics, Large Igneous Provinces and Deep Mantle Heterogeneities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torsvik, T. H.; Steinberger, B.; Burke, K.; Smethurst, M. A.

2008-12-01

The formation and break-up of supercontinents is a spectacular demonstration of the Earth's dynamic nature. Pangea, the best-documented supercontinent, formed at the end of the Palaeozoic era (320 Ma) and its dispersal, starting in the Early Jurassic (190 Ma), was preceded by and associated with widespread volcanic activity, much of which produced Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs), but whether any of the heat or material involved in the generation of LIP rocks comes from greater depths has remained controversial. Two antipodal Large Low Shear wave Velocity Provinces with centre of mass somewhat south of the equator (African and Pacific LLSVPs), isolated within the faster parts of the deep mantle dominate all global shear- wave tomography models. We have tested eight global models and two D" models: They all show that deep- plume sourced hotspots and most reconstructed LIPs for the last 300 million years project radially downwards to the core-mantle-boundary near the edges of the LLSVPs showing that the plumes that made those hotspots and LIPS came only from those plume generation zones. This is a robust result because it is observed in multiple reference frames, i.e. fixed/moving hotspot and palaeomagnetic frames, and in the latter case whether the effect of True Polar Wander (TPW) is considered or not. Our observations show that the LLSVPs must have remained essentially stable in their present position for the last 300 million years. LIPs have erupted since the Archean and may all have been derived from the margins of LLSVPs but whether the African and Pacific LLSVPs have remained the same throughout Earth's history is less certain although analogous structures on Mars do indicate long-term stability on that planet. Deep mantle heterogeneities and the geoid have remained very stable for the last 300 million years, and the possibility is therefore open for speculating on links to Pangea assembly. In a numerical model, Zhong et al. (2007, EPSL) argued that Pangea assembled above a major down-welling, and calculated that, following the assembly, a sub-Pangea upwelling developed relatively fast (within~50 Myr) as mantle return flow in response to circum-Pangea subduction. Collision of Gondwana and Laurussia took place during the destruction of the Rheic Ocean and parts of the Palaeotethys and bulk Pangea assembled at ca. 320 Ma. However, most of the Rheic Ocean had gone much earlier (ca. 370 Ma) and it may therefore be more appropriate in terms of mantle modelling to place "supercontinent formation" in Devonian times. In that case a large-scale thermal upwelling under Africa, and the presumed chemically distinct African LLSVP beneath it, would have existed as early as 320 Ma, so that a plume head from its edge could have impinged upon the lithosphere at the time determined for the oldest LIP we have reconstructed. In such a model, the African LLSVP should not have existed before Devonian times, because convection would have been dominated by a degree-1 mode with only one upwelling, presumably above the Pacific LLSVP. The situation becomes more obscure further back in time; TPW may have been larger during degree-1 convection, so that reconstructions in the palaeomagnetic frame are not necessarily in relation to the deep mantle. There may again have been two LLSVPs during dispersal of the previous supercontinent (Rodinia), in which case a second LLSVP may again have been approximately antipodal to the one beneath the Pacific.

PREFACE: Symmetry and Structural Properties of Condensed Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lulek, Tadeusz; Wal, Andrzej; Lulek, Barbara

2008-03-01

This volume comprises the proceedings of the Ninth Summer School on Theoretical Physics under the leading title `Symmetry and Structural Properties of Condensed Matter' (SSPCM 2007). The school, organised by Rzeszów University of Technology, Poland, together with AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland, in 5-12 September 2007 in Myczkowce. The meeting aimed to continue the series of biannual SSPCM schools (since 1990), and focused on the promotion of some advanced mathematical methods within the physics of condensed matter, with an emphasis on quantum information aspects. The main topics of the SSPCM07 school were the following: Quantum information and computing Finite dimensional Hilbert spaces Generating functions and exactly soluble models The Proceedings are divided into three parts accordingly. These topics can be seen as a natural continuation of the previous SSPCM05 school, aimed at studying interrelations between solid state physics and quantum informatics, as well as an extension of earlier SSPCM meetings, devoted to mathematical tools of condensed matter theory. The school gathered together more than 60 participants from 11 countries and 7 scientific centres in Poland. Some of them were there for the first time, and some had attended nearly all previous meetings. We had advanced researchers as well as their young collaborators and students. Acknowledgements The Organizing Committee wishes to express our gratitude to all participants for several their activities at the school and for creating so friendly and inspiring an atmosphere that one can talk about the term: `SSPCM society'. Special thanks are due to all lecturers, for preparing and presenting their talks, and for several valuable discussions. We also give thanks to all those who prepared manuscripts, giving us thus an opportunity to share their ideas, to all referees who improved significantly the quality of this volume, to all members of our International Advisory Committee, and to chairmen for their polite but efficient leading of sessions. It is our sad duty to inform the whole SSPCM society that one of us, Professor Jan Mozrzymas from The Institute of Theoretical Physics, Wrocław University, died on 8 January 2006. He was a lecturer and a very active participant of our first four SSPCM meetings in Zajaczkowo near Poznań. Some of us remember his lectures on crystallography, solitons and motions of electric charges, nicely intertwined with differential geometry, theta functions, knots or Rieman surfaces. We shall keep his attitude towards physics and mathematics in our minds. As the Organizing Committee, we would like to express our special gratitude to The Nicholas C Metropolis Mathematics Foundation (USA) for substantial financial support of our two last SSPCM schools. We direct this gratitude to Professor James D Louck, The President of this Foundation, and also one of the most regular lecturers of our series of SSPCM schools. He was so kind to introduce us, in his impressive address at the ceremonial dinner, into the history and aims of the Foundation which we like to sketch here briefly. The Founder, Professor Nicholas C Metropolis, was a famous researcher who started his work in Chicago in 1942 within the Fermi group that was building the first nuclear reactor, in 1943 he joined the group of Bethe in Los Alamos, taking part in the construction of the atomic bomb. He was in scientific contact with many well known mathematicians and physicists of those times, Feynman, von Neumann, Ulam, Szilard, Teller, and Wigner. Before he died in 1999, he created The Mathematics Foundation with the purpose of supporting science, with a special emphasis on mathematical orientation. We wish to thank the Nicholas C Metropolis Foundation, not only as benefactors (in fact, this support has allowed us to initiate the last two SSPCM schools), but also for giving us the honour of being seen as proper members in the perspective of such an important tradition. We would also like to acknowledge the support of European Physical Society. On behalf of the organizers of SSPCM 2007 Tadeusz Lulek, Andrzej Wal and Barbara Lulek Editors

St. Patrick's Day 2015 geomagnetic storm analysis based on Real Time Ionosphere Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Rigo, Alberto

2017-04-01

Alberto García-Rigo (1), David Roma-Dollase (2), Manuel Hernández-Pajares (1), Zishen Li (3), Michael Terkildsen (4), German Olivares (4), Reza Ghoddousi-Fard (5), Denise Dettmering (6), Eren Erdogan (6), Haris Haralambous (7), Yannick Béniguel (8), Jens Berdermann (9), Martin Kriegel (9), Anna Krypiak-Gregorczyk (10), Tamara Gulyaeva (11), Attila Komjathy (12), Panagiotis Vergados (12), Joachim Feltens (13,19), René Zandbergen (13), Tim Fuller-Rowell (14), David Altadill (15), Nicolas Bergeot (16), Andrzej Krankowski (17), Loukis Agrotis (18), Ivan Galkin (20), Raul Orus-Perez (21) 1. UPC-IonSAT research group, Technical University of Catalonia, Spain 2. Department of Engineering: Electronics, University of Barcelona (UB), Spain 3. Academy of Opto-Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China 4. Bureau of Meteorology, Space Weather Services, Australia 5. Canadian Geodetic Survey, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) / Government of Canada, Canada 6. Deutsches Geodätisches Forschungsinstitut der Technischen Universität München (DGFI-TUM), Germany 7. Frederick University Cyprus, Cyprus 8. IEEA, France 9. Institute of Communications and Navigation, DLR, Germany 10. Institute of Geodesy, UWM, Poland 11. Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia 12. NASA - Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology, USA 13. Navigation Support Office, ESA-ESOC, Germany 14. NOAA affiliate, USA 15. Observatori de l'Ebre (OE), CSIC - Universitat Ramon Llull, 43520 Roquetes, Spain 16. Planetology and Reference Systems, Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB), Belgium 17. Space Radio-Diagnostics Research Centre, UWM (SRRC/UWM), Poland 18. SYMBAN Limited, ESA-ESOC, Germany 19. Telespazio VEGA Deutschland GmbH c/o ESA-ESOC, Germany 20. University of Massachusetts Lowell, Space Science Lab, USA 21. Wave Interaction and Propagation Section (TEC-EEP), ESA-ESTEC, The Netherlands IAG's Real Time Ionosphere Monitoring (RTIM) is a new Working Group within the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) Sub-Commission 4.3 "Atmosphere Remote Sensing". The complementary expertise of the participating research groups allows to analyse the ionospheric behaviour from a broad perspective, taking benefit of comparing multiple independent real time and near real time ionospheric approaches. In this context, a detailed analysis will be presented for the days in March, 2015 surrounding St. Patrick's Day 2015 geomagnetic storm, based on the existing ionospheric models (global or regional) within the group, which are mainly based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and ionosonde data. For this purpose, a variety of ionospheric parameters will be considered, including Total Electron Content (TEC), F2 layer critical frequency (foF2), F2 layer peak (hmF2), bottomside half-thickness (B0) and ionospheric disturbance W-index. Also, ionospheric high-frequency perturbations such as Travelling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs), scintillations and the impact of solar flares facing the Earth will be presented to derive a clear picture of the ionospheric dynamics. Among other sources of information to take part in the comparisons, there will be (1) scintillation results -from MONITOR ESA/ESTEC-funded project- derived by means of S4 index and Sigma Phi (IEEA), specially significant in the African sector and European high latitudes, (2) dynamics of the global maps of W-index with 1h resolution derived from JPL Global Ionospheric Maps (GIMs; IZMIRAN), (3) deviations from expected quiet-time behavior analysed in terms of foF2, hmF2, B0 and B1 based on IRTAM and GIRO network of digisondes (Lowell), showing F2 layer peculiar changes due to the storm, (4) statistics based on the median of the VTEC for the 15 previous days considering VTEC european regional maps (ROB), (5) time series of VTEC data that are derived by running the NRT ionosphere model of DGFI-TUM in offline mode, which show clear variations for both global and European scales associated to the event, (6) global maps of inter-frequency phase rate variations as proxy phase scintillation index from 1Hz real-time IGS network (NRCan), (7) manually scaled ionospheric peak parameters from European ionosondes (FUC), (8) NOAA US-Total Electron Content Product (NOAA-USTEC) operational product, which shows the passage of the storm-enhanced density, (9) as well as other products -also from MONITOR ESA/ESTEC-funded project-, such as the Rate of TEC index (ROTI), Single Receiver Medium Scale TIDs index (SRMTID), GNSS Solar Flare Detector (GSFLAD), which is a EUV rate proxy, the Sunlit Ionosphere Sudden TEC Enhancement Detector (SISTED) and the Global Electron Content (GEC) generated from UQRG GIMs (UPC-IonSAT).

PREFACE: Physics and biology of neurodegenerative diseases Physics and biology of neurodegenerative diseases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pastore, Annalisa

2012-06-01

In 1939, William T Astbury, who was at the time a professor at the University of Leeds, wrote a letter to Dorothy Hodgkins, a crystallographer colleague who would eventually be awarded a Nobel Prize (1964) [1]. Astbury was working on determining the structure of silk and had found that these fibres had a so-called cross-beta arrangement, with the hydrogen bonds holding a beta-sheet structure perpendicular to the fibre axis. This structure was very robust and thus would account well for the properties of the silk fibre. Being very impressed by this structural solution at a time when protein structure was just being discovered, he wrote to Dorothy Hodgkins formulating the hypothesis that all proteins could adopt a cross-beta structure similar to that found for silk as a sort of ultimate solution. Approximately 70 years later, this prediction was reconsidered and is now generally accepted to be correct: most if not all proteins seem to be able to form fibrils, commonly named amyloids, that adopt the same structural features found in silk. The field of amyloid fibres bloomed in the mid-90s when several researchers—among them Chris Dobson, a professor first at Oxford and then at Cambridge—observed that proteins could aggregate by concomitant formation of fibrillar structures (reviewed in [2]). It was certainly not news that proteins could aggregate with an irreversible mechanism. However, what nearly came as a surprise was the realization that aggregation is often accompanied by a major structural rearrangement, which almost invariably associates with protein misfolding (i.e. loss of the native structure and adoption of a beta-rich structure) and amyloid fibre formation. Even more interesting was the growing evidence that amyloid fibres have very special mechanical properties, being extremely resilient and not easily degraded. At the same time it was noticed that different diseases, generically named amyloidoses, are associated with fibrillar aggregates. Today, about 15 years after the original reports, it is clear that amyloids are special structures that occur in nature under several different guises, some good, some evil [3]. The number of diseases associated with misfolding and fibrillogenesis has steadily increased. Examples of fairly common pathologies associated with fibre formation include Alzheimer's disease (currently one of the major threats for human health in our increasingly aging world), Parkinson's disease and several rare, but not less severe, pathologies. On the other hand, it is also clear that amyloid formation is a convenient mechanism for storing peptides and/or proteins in a compact and resistant way. The number of organisms/tissues in which amyloid deposits are found is thus increasing. It is also not too far-fetched to expect that the mechanical properties of amyloids could be used in biotechnology to design new materials. Because of the importance of this topic in so many scientific fields, we have dedicated this special issue of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter to the topic of protein aggregation and disease. In the following pages we have collected two reviews and five articles that explore new and interesting developments in the field. References [1] Olby R 1994 The Path of the Double Helix: The Discovery of DNA (New York: Dover) [2] Dobson C M 2004 Principles of protein folding, misfolding and aggregation Semin. Cell Dev. Biol. 15 3-16 [3] Hammer N D, Wang X, McGuffie B A, Chapman M R 2008 Amyloids: friend or foe? J. Alzheimers Dis. 13 407-19 Physics and biology of neurodegenerative diseases contents Protein aggregation and misfolding: good or evil?Annalisa Pastore and Pierandrea Temussi Alzheimer's disease: biological aspects, therapeutic perspectives and diagnostic toolsM Di Carlo, D Giacomazza and P L San Biagio Entrapment of Aβ1-40 peptide in unstructured aggregatesC Corsale, R Carrotta, M R Mangione, S Vilasi, A Provenzano, G Cavallaro, D Bulone and P L San Biagio Elemental micro-imaging and quantification of human substantia nigra using synchrotron radiation based x-ray fluorescence—in relation to Parkinson's diseaseMagdalena Szczerbowska-Boruchowska, Anna Krygowska-Wajs and Dariusz Adamek Explaining the length threshold of polyglutamine aggregationPaolo De Los Rios, Marc Hafner and Annalisa Pastore The role of iron in neurodegeneration—Mössbauer spectroscopy, electron microscopy, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and neuroimaging studiesJolanta Galazka-Friedman, Erika R Bauminger, Karol Szlachta and Andrzej Friedman Crowding versus molecular seeding: NMR studies of protein aggregation in hen egg whiteD Sanfelice, M Adrover, G Martorell, A Pastore and P A Temussi

Variability of PAHs and trace metals in the sediments in relation to environmental characteristics of the bottom layer in the middle Adriatic Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grilli, Federica; Frapiccini, Emanuela; Campanelli, Alessandra; Guicciardi, Stefano; Marini, Mauro; Marasovic, Ivona; Grbec, Branka; Skejić, Sanda; Ujević, Ivana; Lušić, Jelena

2015-04-01

In the framework of the project PERSEUS (Policy-oriented marine Environmental Research in the Southern EUropean Seas), two interdisciplinary surveys were carried out in April 2013 and April 2014 in the middle Adriatic Sea along the Pescara-Sibenik transect (Jabuka Pits area) and Vieste-Split transect (Palagruza Sill area) with Croatian research vessel "Bios II" and the Italian research vessel "G. Dallaporta", respectively. The main objective of these research cruises was the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) in the Adriatic region for collecting physical, chemical and biological data in order to get a better understanding of whole Adriatic ecosystem. The two transects are already recognised as a key areas for the interception and the study of dense water modification (Zore-Armanda, 1963; Marini et al., 2006; Grilli et al., 2013). Due to seasonal circulation patterns, they are characterized by high temporal variability of the thermohaline structure (Grbec and Morović, 1997; Vilibić, et al., 2004) and other oceanographic parameters. Long term oceanographic records from the Middle Adriatic enable better understanding of the ecosystem response to changes of atmospheric and sea conditions through physical, chemical and biological processes (Marasović et al., 1995). Several oceanographic parameters relevant and useful for the ecosystem assessment of the two areas (temperature, salinity, density, fluorescence, oxygen, nutrients, chlorophyll, phyto- and zoo-plankton as well as selected pollutants , trace metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons-PAHs in sediments) were collected. In the present work, the variations of PAHs and trace metals concentration in the marine sediments are presented in relation to the physical and chemical characteristics of the bottom layer. A constant influx of metal induces more intense accumulation of anthropogenic metals, especially Cd, in sediment from Jabuka Pit, and the metal content slightly increases towards the Italian coast. The total PAHs concentrations (sum of 16 PAH priority pollutant - US EPA) recorded in the marine sediments during the cruise in April 2013 showed a higher level of PAH contamination in the pits, especially in the central pit (28.5 ng/g d.w.), in comparison to others analyzed samples. The corresponding bottom water in the central pit is characterized by a temperature of 10.9°C, density of 29.6 kg/m3, salinity of 38.6 and low values of DIN (0.55 μmol•l-1). The linear regression between DIN and PAHs showed a significant negative relationship (p ≤ 0.05). This feature implies a possible accumulation of PAHs very likely due to a lower microbial activity as demonstrated by Xu et al. (2014). The physical and chemical characteristics of the bottom layer in these areas could influence the PAHs contamination of the deep sediments. Bibliography: Grbec, B. and Morović, M. (1997): Seasonal thermohaline fluctuations in the middle Adriatic Sea. Nuovo Cimento della Societa Italiana di Fisica C-Geophysics & Space Physics. 20(4): 561-576. Grilli F., Marini M., Book J. W., Campanelli A., Paschini E., Russo A., 2013. Flux of nutrients between the middle and southern Adriatic Sea (Gargano-Split section). Marine Chemistry 153,1-14. Marini, M., Russo, A., Paschini, E., Grilli, F., Campanelli, A., 2006. Short-term physical and chemical variations in the bottom water of middle Adriatic depressions. Climate Research 31, 227-237. Meiying Xu, Qin Zhang, Chunyu Xia, Yuming Zhong, Guoping Sun, Jun Guo, Tong Yuan, Jizhong Zhou and Zhili He, 2014. Elevated nitrate enriches microbial functional genes for potential bioremediation of complexly contaminated sediments. The ISME Journal 8, 1932-1944 | doi:10.1038/ismej.2014.42 Marasović I., Grbec B. & Morović M., 1995. Long term production changes in the Adriatic. Neth. J. of Sea Res. 34 (4): 267-273. Vilibić I., Grbec B. and Supić N., 2004. Dense water generation in the north Adriatic in 1999 and its recirculation along the Jabuka Pit. Deep-Sea Research I, 51, 1457-1474. Zore-Armanda, M. 1963. Les masses d'eau de la Mer Adriatique. Acta Adriat., 10(3): 1-93.

The relationship between continental collision process and metamorphic pattern in the Himalayan collision belts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Chang-Whan

2015-04-01

Both UHP and HP eclogites are reported from the Kaghan Valley and Tso Morari Massif in the western part of the Himalayan collision belt (Ghazanfar and Chaudhry, 1987; Thakur, 1983). UHP eclogites in the Kaghan record peak metamorphic conditions of 770 °C and 30 kbar (O'Brien et al., 2001) and was retrograded into the epidote-amphibolite or blueschist (580-610 °C, 10-13 kbar; Lombardo and Rolfo, 2000). Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe dating of zircon reveals that the UHP eclogite formed at ca. 46 Ma (Kaneko et al., 2003; Parrish et al., 2006). The Tso Morari UHP eclogite had formed at 750 °C, > 39 kbar (Mukheerjee et al., 2003; Bundy, 1980) and underwent amphibolite facies retro-grade metamorphism (580 °C, 11 kbar) during uplift (Guillot et al., 2008). Peak metamorphism of the Tso Morari Massif was dated at ca. 53-55 Ma (Leech et al., 2005). Only HP eclogites have been reported from the mid-eastern part of the Himalayan collision belt (Lombardo and Rolfo, 2000; Corrie et al., 2010). The HP eclogite in the mid-eastern part may have formed at ca. > 780 °C and 20 kbar and was overprinted by high-pressure granulite facies metamorphism (780-750°C, 12-10 kbar) at ca. 30 Ma (Groppo et al. 2007; Corrie et al., 2010). HP granulite (890 °C, 17-18 kbar) is reported from the NBS, at the eastern terminus of the Himalayan collision belt; the granulite was subjected to retrograde metamorphism to produce lower-pressure granulite (875-850°C, 10-5 kbar), representing near-isothermal decompression (Liu and Zhong, 1997). The HP granulite metamorphism may have occurred at ca. 22-25 Ma. Along the Himalayan collision belt, peak metamorphism changes eastward from UHP eclogite facies through HP eclogite facies to high-pressure granulite facies, indicating a progressive eastwards decrease in the depth of subduction of continental crust and an eastwards increase in the geothermal gradient. The peak metamorphic ages also decrease from 53-46 Ma in the west to 22-25 Ma in the east indicating propagation of collision towards east. The following collision model of the Himalayan collision belt is proposed based on data published in previous studies. Collision between the Indian and Asian blocks started in the west before ca. 55 Ma. In the western part, the amount of oceanic slab subducted prior to continent collision was enough to pull the continental crust down to the depths of UHP metamorphism, as a wide ocean existed between the Asian and Indian blocks prior to collision. Following UHP metamorphism, oceanic slab break-off started at ca. 55~46 Ma in the west due to the very strong buoyancy of the deeply subducted continental block. In contrast, the subduction of continental crust continued at this time in the middle and eastern parts of the belt. The zone of break-off migrated eastward, initiating a change from steep- to low-angle subduction. Final break-off may have occurred in the easternmost part of the belt at ca. 22-25 Ma. The depth of slab break-off decreased toward the east due to the westward decrease of the amount of subducted oceanic crust along the Himalayan collision belt, resulting eastwards decrease of an uplifting rate due to a decrease in buoyancy of the continental slab. The slower uplift resulted in a longer period of thermal relaxation and a higher geothermal gradient. In the west, the high rate of uplift resulted the epidote amphibolite facies (580-610°C) retrograde metamorphic overprint on the UHP eclogites, whereas the relatively slow uplift in the mid-eastern part caused high-grade granulites (850°C) retrograde metamorphic overprint on the HP eclogites. The study indicates that the metamorphic pattern along the collision belt is strongly related to the amount of subducted oceanic crust between continents before collision and the depth of slab break-off. Therefore metamorphic pattern can be used to interpret both the disappeared and ongoing tectonic process during continental collision.

PREFACE: Structure and dynamics determined by neutron and x-ray scattering Structure and dynamics determined by neutron and x-ray scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller-Buschbaum, Peter

2011-06-01

Neutron and x-ray scattering have emerged as powerful methods for the determination of structure and dynamics. Driven by emerging new, powerful neutron and synchrotron radiation sources, the continuous development of new instrumentation and novel scattering techniques gives rise to exciting possibilities. For example, in situ observations become possible via a high neutron or x-ray flux at the sample and, as a consequence, morphological transitions with small time constants can be detected. This special issue covers a broad range of different materials from soft to hard condensed matter. Hence, different material classes such as colloids, polymers, alloys, oxides and metals are addressed. The issue is dedicated to the 60th birthday of Professor Winfried Petry, scientific director of the Research Neutron Source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM-II), Germany, advisor at the physics department for the Bayerische Elite-Akademie, chair person of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Metall- und Materialphysik of the German Physical Society (DPG) and a member of the professional council of the German Science Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG). We would like to acknowledge and thank all contributors for their submissions, which made this special issue possible in the first place. Moreover, we would like to thank the staff at IOP Publishing for helping us with the administrative aspects and for coordinating the refereeing process, and Valeria Lauter for the beautiful cover artwork. Finally, to the readers, we hope that you find this special issue a valuable resource that provides insights into the present possibilities of neutron and x-ray scattering as powerful tools for the investigation of structure and dynamics. Structure and dynamics determined by neutron and x-ray scattering contents In situ studies of mass transport in liquid alloys by means of neutron radiography F Kargl, M Engelhardt, F Yang, H Weis, P Schmakat, B Schillinger, A Griesche and A Meyer Magnetic spin structure of pyroxene-type MnGeO3 G J Redhammer, A Senyshyn, G Tippelt and G Roth Nanostructured diblock copolymer films with embedded magnetic nanoparticles Xin Xia, Ezzeldin Metwalli, Matthias A Ruderer, Volker Körstgens, Peter Busch, Peter Böni and Peter Müller-Buschbaum Thermal expansion of a La-based bulk metallic glass: insight from in situ high-energy x-ray diffraction J Bednarcik, S Michalik, M Sikorski, C Curfs, X D Wang, J Z Jiang and H Franz The slow short-time motions of phospholipid molecules with a focus on the influence of multiple scattering and fitting artefacts Sebastian Busch and Tobias Unruh Quasi-elastic scattering under short-range order: the linear regime and beyond Michael Leitner and Gero Vogl Structural relaxation as seen by quasielastic neutron scattering on viscous Zr-Ti-Cu-Ni-Be droplets F Yang, T Kordel, D Holland-Moritz, T Unruh and A Meyer In situ observation of cluster formation during nanoparticle solution casting on a colloidal film S V Roth, G Herzog, V Körstgens, A Buffet, M Schwartzkopf, J Perlich, M M Abul Kashem, R Döhrmann, R Gehrke, A Rothkirch, K Stassig, W Wurth, G Benecke, C Li, P Fratzl, M Rawolle and P Müller-Buschbaum Inelastic neutron and x-ray scattering from incommensurate magnetic systems Peter Böni, Bertrand Roessli and Klaudia Hradil Development of magnetic moments in Fe1-xNix-alloys Benjamin Glaubitz, Stefan Buschhorn, Frank Brüssing, Radu Abrudan and Hartmut Zabel Modified mode-coupling theory for the collective dynamics of simple liquids B Schmid and W Schirmacher Inelastic neutron and low-frequency Raman scattering in niobium-phosphate glasses: the role of spatially fluctuating elastic and elasto-optic constants A Schulte, W Schirmacher, B Schmid and T Unruh The effect of heat treatment on the internal structure of nanostructured block copolymer films A Sepe, E T Hoppe, S Jaksch, D Magerl, Q Zhong, J Perlich, D Posselt, D-M Smilgies and C M Papadakis Hydrogen release from sodium alanate observed by time-resolved neutron backscattering Aline Léon and Joachim Wuttke Morphology of thin nanocomposite films of asymmetric diblock copolymer and magnetite nanoparticles Valeria Lauter, Peter Müller-Buschbaum, Hans Lauter and Winfried Petry Structural characterization of casein micelles: shape changes during film formation R Gebhardt, C Vendrely and U Kulozik

Studying the glial cell response to biomaterials and surface topography for improving the neural electrode interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ereifej, Evon S.

Neural electrode devices hold great promise to help people with the restoration of lost functions, however, research is lacking in the biomaterial design of a stable, long-term device. Current devices lack long term functionality, most have been found unable to record neural activity within weeks after implantation due to the development of glial scar tissue (Polikov et al., 2006; Zhong and Bellamkonda, 2008). The long-term effect of chronically implanted electrodes is the formation of a glial scar made up of reactive astrocytes and the matrix proteins they generate (Polikov et al., 2005; Seil and Webster, 2008). Scarring is initiated when a device is inserted into brain tissue and is associated with an inflammatory response. Activated astrocytes are hypertrophic, hyperplastic, have an upregulation of intermediate filaments GFAP and vimentin expression, and filament formation (Buffo et al., 2010; Gervasi et al., 2008). Current approaches towards inhibiting the initiation of glial scarring range from altering the geometry, roughness, size, shape and materials of the device (Grill et al., 2009; Kotov et al., 2009; Kotzar et al., 2002; Szarowski et al., 2003). Literature has shown that surface topography modifications can alter cell alignment, adhesion, proliferation, migration, and gene expression (Agnew et al., 1983; Cogan et al., 2005; Cogan et al., 2006; Merrill et al., 2005). Thus, the goals of the presented work are to study the cellular response to biomaterials used in neural electrode fabrication and assess surface topography effects on minimizing astrogliosis. Initially, to examine astrocyte response to various materials used in neural electrode fabrication, astrocytes were cultured on platinum, silicon, PMMA, and SU-8 surfaces, with polystyrene as the control surface. Cell proliferation, viability, morphology and gene expression was measured for seven days in vitro. Results determined the cellular characteristics, reactions and growth rates of astrocytes grown on PMMA resembled closely to that of cells grown on the control surface, thus confirming the biocompatibility of PMMA. Additionally, the astrocyte GFAP gene expressions of cells grown on PMMA were lower than the control, signifying a lack of astrocyte reactivity. Based on the findings from the biomaterials study, it was decided to optimize PMMA by changing the surface characteristic of the material. Through the process of hot embossing, nanopatterns were placed on the surface in order to test the hypothesis that nanopatterning can improve the cellular response to the material. Results of this study agreed with current literature showing that topography effects protein and cell behavior. It was concluded that for the use in neural electrode fabrication and design, the 3600mm/gratings pattern feature sizes were optimal. The 3600 mm/gratings pattern depicted cell alignment along the nanopattern, less protein adsorption, less cell adhesion, proliferation and viability, inhibition of GFAP and MAP2k1 compared to all other substrates tested. Results from the initial biomaterials study also indicated platinum was negatively affected the cells and may not be a suitable material for neural electrodes. This lead to pursuing studies with iridium oxide and platinum alloy wires for the glial scar assay. Iridium oxide advantages of lower impedance and higher charge injection capacity would appear to make iridium oxide more favorable for neural electrode fabrication. However, results of this study demonstrate iridium oxide wires exhibited a more significant reactive response as compared to platinum alloy wires. Astrocytes cultured with platinum alloy wires had less GFAP gene expression, lower average GFAP intensity, and smaller glial scar thickness. Results from the nanopatterning PMMA study prompted a more thorough investigation of the nanopatterning effects using an organotypic brain slice model. PDMS was utilized as the substrate due to its optimal physical properties. Confocal and SEM imaging illustrated cells from the brain tissue slices were aligned along the nanopattern on the PDMS pins. Decreases in several inflammatory markers (GFAP, TNFα, IL-1beta) determined from gene expression analysis, was shown with the nanopatterned PDMS pins. Results of this study confirm nanopatterning not only influences cell morphology, but alters molecular cascades within the cells as well. The results of these studies provide essential information for the neural electrode research community. There is a lack of information available in the scientific community on acceptable and effective materials for neural electrode fabrication. The results of the presented studies provide more information which could lead to classifying guidelines to create biocompatible neural electrode materials. This research project was partially supported by the Wayne State University President's Translational Enhancement Award and by the Kales Scholarship for Biomedical Engineering students.

PREFACE: DISCRETE '08: Symposium on Prospects in the Physics of Discrete Symmetries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernabéu, José; Botella, Francisco J.; Mavromatos, Nick E.; Mitsou, Vasiliki A.

2009-07-01

The Symposium DISCRETE'08 on Prospects in the Physics of Discrete Symmetries was held at the Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC) in Valencia, Spain from 11 to 16 December 2008. IFIC is a joint centre of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and the Universitat de València (UVEG). The aim of the Symposium was to bring together experts on the field of Discrete Symmetries in order to discuss its prospects on the eve of the LHC era. The general state of the art for CP, T and CPT symmetries was reviewed and their interplay with Baryogenesis, Early Cosmology, Quantum Gravity, String Theory and the Dark Sector of the Universe was emphasised. Connections with physics beyond the Standard Model, in particular Supersymmetry, were investigated. Experimental implications in current and proposed facilities received particular attention. The scientific programme consisted of 24 invited Plenary Talks and 93 contributions selected among the submitted papers. Young researchers, in particular, were encouraged to submit an abstract. The Special Lecture on ''CERN and the Future of Particle Physics'', given by the CERN Director General Rolf-Dieter Heuer to close the Symposium, was of particular relevance. On the last day of the Symposium, an open meeting took place between Professor Heuer and the Spanish community of particle physics. The Symposium covered recent developments on the subject of Discrete Symmetries in the following topics: Quantum Vacuum Entanglement, Symmetrisation Principle CPT in Quantum Gravity and String Theory, Decoherence, Lorentz Violation Ultra-high-energy Messengers Time Reversal CP violation in the SM and beyond Neutrino Mass, Mixing and CP Baryogenesis, Leptogenesis Family Symmetries Supersymmetry and other searches Experimental Prospects: LHC, Super-B Factories, DAΦNE-2, Neutrino Beams The excellence of most of the presentations during the Symposium was pointed out by many participants. The broad spectrum of topics under the guideline of Symmetry and Symmetry Breaking was an added value to the interest of such an event. The Symposium was attended by 160 participants, among which 63 from Spain, 77 coming from the rest of Europe, 10 from USA and 10 from the rest of the world. The Symposium started with a welcome address by Dr Vasiliki Mitsou, Co-Chair of the Organising Committee, and Professor Francisco J Botella, Director of IFIC. The scientific plenary sessions started with a discussion on the search for Time Reversal Violation, independent of CP and/or CPT symmetries, by Helen Quinn. Related to this important subject, David Wark made a presentation of the state of the art in the measurement of Electric Dipole Moments. The status and prospects of CP-violation Experiments was reviewed by Tatsuya Nakada, whereas Andrzej Buras made a comprehensive discussion on the search for New Physics with Rare Decays and CP Violation. The implications for Cosmology were presented by Mikhail Shaposhnikov with a talk on Baryogenesis. The pending understanding of the Flavour Problem was discussed by Graham G Ross in his presentation on Family Symmetries. Going beyond the paradigm imposed by local quantum field theories, Nikolaos Mavromatos described the scenario of CPT Violation and Decoherence in Quantum Gravity. Antonio Di Domenico presented the status on the search for CPT Violation and Decoherence in the Neutral Kaon System and José L F Barbón covered the territory of Strings, Symmetry and Holography. The problem of the Quantum Vacuum was addessed by Mariano Quirós in his presentation on the nature of the Electroweak Higgs sector. In Cosmology, Pierre Binetruy treated the fascinating question of the possible concepts to explain the Dark Energy in the Universe. On the theme of High Energy Messengers from the Cosmos, Graciela Gelmini presented the solved and unsolved questions associated with the High Energy Cosmic Rays, Manel Martínez discussed methods to study Fundamental Physics with Cosmic Gamma Rays and Francis Halzen gave the present status of High Energy Neutrino Astronomy and the projects towards Km3-scale cosmic neutrino Underwater Detectors. On Neutrino Physics, Niki Saoulidou reviewed its present status and the experimental prospects, Peter Minkowski discussed the proposals to understand the Origin of Neutrino Mass and Apostolos Pilaftsis made a Little Review on the implications of global Lepton Number Violation with neutrino Majorana mass for Leptogenesis in the Universe. The interplay of Dark Matter studies with the search for SUSY at LHC was discussed by Antonio Masiero, whereas Athanasios Lahanas presented Dark Matter in the eye of CP-violating SUSY theory. On the Experimental Prospects frontier, André Rubbia discussed Underground Detectors for Particle and Astroparticle Science, Daniel Froidevaux gave a stimulating review on the Physics to be expected at LHC, Marcello A Giorgi examined the Future of SuperFlavour Factories as complementary to LHCb and Mats Lindroos presented the options for the Ultimate Neutrino Beam(s), able to discover and measure CP Violation in neutrino oscillations. In the Parallel Sessions, the contributions selected for oral presentation during the Symposium were well balanced covering all aspects of Discrete Symmetries. They are reproduced in the present Proceedings distributed according to the various topic-specific sessions in which they were presented. The papers published here have, in addition, passed positively the refereeing system defined by the members of the Organising Committee of the DISCRETE'08 Symposium. The DISCRETE'08 Symposium was the first in a series of biannual events on the general topic of Symmetries. The next symposium will be organised by the University of La Sapienza, Rome, Italy, in the autumn of 2010. Valencia, April 2009 The Editors J Bernabéu (IFIC Valencia) F J Botella (IFIC Valencia) N E Mavromatos (King's College London) V A Mitsou (IFIC Valencia)

Protein promiscuity: drug resistance and native functions--HIV-1 case.

PubMed

Fernández, Ariel; Tawfik, Dan S; Berkhout, Ben; Sanders, Rogier; Kloczkowski, Andrzej; Sen, Taner; Jernigan, Bob

2005-06-01

The association of a drug with its target protein has the effect of blocking the protein activity and is termed a promiscuous function to distinguish from the protein's native function (Tawfik and associates, Nat. Genet. 37, 73-6, 2005). Obviously, a protein has not evolved naturally for drug association or drug resistance. Promiscuous protein functions exhibit unique traits of evolutionary adaptability, or evolvability, which is dependent on the induction of novel phenotypic traits by a small number of mutations. These mutations might have small effects on native functions, but large effects on promiscuous function; for example, an evolving protein could become increasingly drug resistant while maintaining its original function. Ariel Fernandez, in his opinion piece, notes that drug-binding "promiscuity" can hardly be dissociated from native functions; a dominant approach to drug discovery is the protein-native-substrate transition-state mimetic strategy. Thus, man-made ligands (e.g. drugs) have been successfully crafted to restrain enzymatic activity by focusing on the very same structural features that determine the native function. Using the successful inhibition of HIV-1 protease as an example, Fernandez illustrates how drug designers have employed naturally evolved features of the protein to suppress its activity. Based on these arguments, he dismisses the notion that drug binding is quintessentially promiscuous, even though in principle, proteins did not evolve to associate with man made ligands. In short, Fernandez argues that there may not be separate protein domains that one could term promiscuous domains. While acknowledging that drugs may bind promiscuously or in a native-like manner a la Fernandez, Tawfik maintains the role of evolutionary adaptation, even when a drug binds native-like. In the case of HIV-1 protease, drugs bind natively, and the initial onset of mutations results in drug resistance in addition to a dramatic decline in enzymatic activity and fitness of the virus. A chain of compensatory mutations follows this, and then the virus becomes fully fit and drug resistant. Ben Berkhout and Rogier Sanders subscribe to the evolution of new protein functions through gene duplication. With two identical protein domains, one domain can be released from a constraint imposed by the original function and it is thus free to move in sequence space toward a new function without loss of the original function. They emphasize that the forced evolution of drug-resistance differs significantly from the spontaneous evolution of an additional protein function. For instance, the latter process could proceed gradually on an evolutionary time scale, whereas the acquisition of drug-resistance is an all or nothing process for a virus, leading to the failure or success of therapy. They find no evidence to the thesis that resistance-mutations appear more rapidly in promiscuous domains than native domains. Berkhout and Sanders illustrate the genetic plasticity of HIV-1 by citing examples in which well-conserved amino acid residues of catalytic domains are forced to mutate under drug-pressure. HIV drug resistance biology is very complex. Instead of a viral protein, a drug can be targeted at a cellular protein. For example, Berkhout and Sanders claim, a drug targeted at the cellular protein CCR5 inhibits the binding of the viral envelope glycoprotein (Env) to CCR5. However, Env mutates so that it binds to the CCR5-drug complex and develops drug resistance. Interestingly, CCR5 has not evolved to bind to Env, but to a series of chemokines. Andrzej Kloczkowski, Taner Sen, and Bob Jernigan point out the importance of protein motions for binding. They believe it is likely that different ligands can bind to the diverse protein conformations sampled in the course of normal protein conformational fluctuations. They have been applying simple elastic network models to extract the motions as normal modes, which yield relatively small numbers of conformations that are useful for developing protein mechanisms; while these are typically small motions, for some proteins they can be quite large in scale. One of the major advantages of the approach is that only relatively small numbers of modes are important contributors to the overall motion -- so the approach provides a way to systematically map out a protein's motions. These models successfully represent the conformational fluctuations manifested in the crystallographic B-factors, and often suggest motions related to protein functional behaviors, such as those observed for reverse transcriptase, where two dominant hinges clearly relate to the processing steps -- one showing anti-correlation between the polymerase and ribonuclease H sites related to the translation and positioning of the nucleic acid chain, and another for opening and closing the polymerase site. Disordered proteins represent a more extreme case where the set of accessible conformations is much larger; thus they could offer up a broader range of possible binding forms. Whether evolution controls the functional motions for proteins remains little studied. Intriguingly, buried in the existing databases of protein-protein interactions may be information that can shed light on the extent of promiscuous binding among proteins themselves. Within these data there are cases where large numbers of diverse proteins have been shown to interact with a single protein; some of these could represent promiscuous protein-protein binding. Uncovering these promiscuous behaviors could be important for comprehending the details of how proteins can bind promiscuously to one another, and can exhibit even greater promiscuity in their binding to small molecules. The evolutionary routes, the dynamics of the target protein, and the many other aspects that need to be addressed while designing a drug that may dodge drug resistance, indicate the complexity and multi-disciplinary nature of the issue of drug resistance.

PREFACE: International Conference on the Use of X-ray (and related) Techniques in Arts and Cultural Heritage (XTACH 11)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamdan, Nasser; El-Khatib, Sami

2012-07-01

The International Conference on the Use of X-Ray (and related) Techniques in Arts and Cultural Heritage (XTACH11) was held on 7 and 8 December 2011 at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) in the United Arab Emirates. The conference was organized in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the National X-ray Fluorescence Laboratory (NXFL). The conference was inaugurated by Dr Peter Heath, Chancellor of the American University of Shrjah and attended by Mr Kwaku Aning, deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy and Ambassador Hamad Al-Kaabi, Ambassador of the UAE to the International Atomic Energy university officials, faculty and students. The conference covered a variety of topics including the use of x-ray and micro beam x-ray analysis, synchrotron based techniques, ion beam and neutron based techniques, optical imaging and mass spectroscopy and chromatography techniques as well as best conservation practices. XTACH11 provided an excellent forum for scientists in the region to interact, exchange ideas and to initiate collaborations with each other as well as with the international community. It showcased some of the latest technical developments in the field of non-destructive testing for the diagnosis and conservation of cultural heritage materials. In addition to the presentations by the invited speakers (Rene van Grieken and K Janssens, University of Antwerp, Belgium; Thomas Calligaro, Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musees de France; Stefano Ridolfi, Ars Mensurae, Rome, Italy, and Andrzej Markowicz, IAEA, Austria), a total of 25 other research papers were also presented and discussed. Scientists from many countries participated in the conference: Austria, Belgium, Egypt, Italy, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The conference concluded with a Discussion Panel. Thomas Calligaro (Centre de Recherché et de Restauration des Musees de France) introduced the Cultural Heritage Advanced Research Infrastructure (CHARISMA) website, highlighting some of its components such as ARCHLAB Infrastructures (for bibliographies), FIXLAB (for large instruments) and MOLAB (for mobile instruments). He explained that CHARISMA was for people working in Europe (or in associated countries). There was some discussion then about the need for a similar sort of network being established for the Middle East region. The proceedings contain peer reviewed papers presented at the conference. During the conference and in collaboration with the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information (Directorate of Antiquities), the American University of Sharjah organized an archaeology exhibition from the 30 November until the 10 December 2011. Special thanks go to Dr Sabah Jasim and Eisa Abbas from the Sharjah Directorate of Antiquities for facilitating this event. The exhibition included about 45 artifacts from different sites within Sharjah emirate, some of which dated as far back 7000 years ago. These artifacts included: flint arrowheads, pottery and alabaster vessels, metal objects including bronze arrowheads and coins, as well as carnelian bead necklaces. Also coinciding with the XTACH11 conference, the American University of Sharjah, in cooperation with The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the National X-ray Fluorescence Laboratory organized a regional training course from 3-8 December 2011. This covered a similar range of topics to those discussed at the XTACH11 conference. Participants of the course were trained in the use of physical and analytical techniques in cultural heritage. In addition to lectures from the National X-ray Fluorescence Laboratory and from the IAEA, the NXFL team provided the opportunity for trainees to undertake projects on ancient pottery samples, metal artifacts and Islamic manuscripts. The practical part of the course included experiments on XRF (portable, and micro XRF), Raman measurements, as well as other sample preparation techniques. The training course concluded with a series of presentations of the results by the participants, attended by the NXFL team and experts from the IAEA. This training course was organized as part of the activities of the IAEA technical cooperation RAS1011 Project: Using Ion Beam Analysis and Complementary Nuclear Techniques for Material Characterization in ARASIA State Parties. The course was attended by participants from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. We would like to thank the conference sponsors: Tashkeel, Sharjah Museums, and Sharjah Department of Culture and Information (Directorate on Antiquities). We would also like to thank our invited speakers, the international advisory committee, the referees and the participants. It has been a pleasure working with them all. Organizing Committee Nasser Hamdan AUS, NXFL Members Pia Anderson AUS Hussain Al-Awadhi UoS & NXFL Sami El Khatib AUS Attaelmanan Gaffar UoS & NXFL Johannes Giesen AUS Sabah Jasim Directory of Antiquities Sharjah Najeh Jisrawi UoS & NXFL Adil Tamimi AUS International Advisory Committee Zaki Aslan ATHAR, ICCROM, Italy Mark Beech Abu Dhabi Culture & Heritage, UAE Rene Van Grieken University of Antwerp, Belgium Gene Hall Rutgers, The State University of N.J. Peter Jackson Office of the Ruler of Sharjah Andreas Karydas IAEA Laboratories, Seiberdorf, Austria Giacinto Porco The Italian Association of Non-Destructive Testing, Italy Mohammad Roumie (CNRS) Lebanese Atomic Energy, Commission, Lebanon Acknowledgments The organizers gratefuly acknowledge the support received from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Provosts office at the American University of Sharjah. The support of the Physics Section, Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences at the IAEA is greatly appreciated. We would like to give special thanks to Dr Francoise Muelhauser from the IAEA. We would like also to thank the conference sponsors: Tashkeel, Sharjah Museums, and Sharjah Department of Culture and Information (Directorate on Antiquities). We thank our invited speakers, the international advisory committee, the referees and the participants. Conference photograph. Conference photograph Sponsors' logos

The effect of the Asian Monsoon to the atmospheric boundary layer over the Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Maoshan; Su, Zhongbo; Chen, Xuelong; Zheng, Donghai; Sun, Fanglin; Ma, Yaoming; Hu, Zeyong

2016-04-01

Modulation of the diurnal variations in the convective activities associated with day-by-day changes of surface flux and soil moisture was observed in the beginning of the monsoon season on the central Tibetan plateau (Sugimoto et al., 2008) which indicates the importance of land-atmosphere interactions in determining convective activities over the Tibetan plateau. Detailed interaction processes need to be studied by experiments designed to evaluate a set of hypotheses on mechanisms and linkages of these interactions. A possible function of vegetation to increase precipitation in cases of Tibetan High type was suggested by Yamada and Uyeda (2006). Use of satellite derived plateau scale soil moisture (Wen et al., 2003) enables the verification of these hypotheses (e.g. Trier et al. 2004). To evaluate these feedbacks, the mesoscale WRF model will be used because several numerical experiments are being conducted to improve the soil physical parameterization in the Noah land surface scheme in WRF so that the extreme conditions on the Tibetan plateau could be adequately represented (Van der Velde et al., 2009) such that the impacts on the structure of the atmospheric boundary layer can be assessed and improved. The Tibetan Observational Research Platform (TORP) operated by the Institute of Tibetan Plateau (Ma et al., 2008) will be fully utilized to study the characteristics of the plateau climate and different aspects of the WRF model will be evaluated using this extensive observation platform (e.g. Su et al., 2012). Recently, advanced studies on energy budget have been done by combining field and satellite measurements over the Tibetan Plateau (e.g. Ma et al., 2005). Such studies, however, were based on a single satellite observation and for a few days over an annual cycle, which are insufficient to reveal the relation between the land surface energy budget and the Asian monsoon over the Tibetan plateau. Time series analysis of satellite observations will provide the needed temporal and spatial coupling and means for validation of mesoscale model simulations (Zhong et al., 2009, 2011). When these time series are integrated into energy balance analyses methods (Su, 2002, 2005) with reanalysis data, plateau scale diurnal radiative and turbulence fluxes can be generated (Oku et al., 2005; Su et al., 2010) for the study of the boundary layer atmospheric structures at plateau scale. As such regional land-atmosphere feedbacks and atmospheric boundary layer structures can be studied. The quantification of the multi-scale atmospheric boundary layer and land surface processes over the heterogeneous underlying surface of the Tibetan Plateau is a challenging problem that remains unsettled despite many years of efforts. Using field observation, truth investigation, land surface process parameterization and meso-scale simulation, the dynamical and thermal uniform function of the atmospheric boundary layer and its effect to the atmospheric boundary layer will be analyzed in this research. Results The different characteristics of the Boundary layer with Asia monsoon season exchange over TP The height of atmospheric boundary layer was higher before monsoon season than it in summer. It was around 3-4 km above the ground in spring, while it was 1-2 km during monsoon season. It due to sensible heat flux was stronger in spring than it in summer. Using wavelet analysis method, we decomposed the wind include horizontal and vertical velocity from radiosounding observational data. The reason of high boundary layer height was disclosed. Compared to the observation, the output of model was underestimation during spring, while it was reasonable in summer monsoon. The effect of the Asian Monsoon to the precipitation on the TP Numerical simulation of climate on the TP was implemented for the whole year of 2008 using WRF-Noah model. The output of the WRF model is compared to TRMM data set for precipitation and ERA-interim land product for soil moisture. Modeled precipitation was greater than TRMM observes except for southwest of the TP. The modeled results are good agreement with TRMM data. The mean bias is around 22 mm/month and the standard deviation is around 30. More detailed statistics analysis will be done in the near future. The precipitation of convective increased from Jan. to June and arrives to the maximum of 36 percent in July, then decreases. It was obviously that the convective activity was strong during monsoon season. The monthly total precipitation extents from southeast to northwest with summer monsoon arrived at TP and it is largest in July. Figure 10 shows that there is positive absolute verticity at 500 mb, but it is response on that it exist a negative potential verticity at 300 mb on the TP. Acknowledgments We would like to thank Prof. Su for the valuable advice and support. We would also like to thank all staff of water resources department and my colleague, Xuelong Chen, Donghai Zheng, Yijian Zeng, Shaoning Lv, Cunbo Han et al. for their encouragement and guidance. I appreciate Dr. Joris for his technical support on workstation. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 91337212, 41175008), Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute Youth Science Tech-nology Service Network initiative (STS), the China Exchange Project (Grant No. 13CDP007), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40825015 and 40675012). The authors thank all colleagues and engineers who contributed to the field observations at the NPCE-BJ station.

EDITORIAL: High performance under pressure High performance under pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demming, Anna

2011-11-01

The accumulation of charge in certain materials in response to an applied mechanical stress was first discovered in 1880 by Pierre Curie and his brother Paul-Jacques. The effect, piezoelectricity, forms the basis of today's microphones, quartz watches, and electronic components and constitutes an awesome scientific legacy. Research continues to develop further applications in a range of fields including imaging [1, 2], sensing [3] and, as reported in this issue of Nanotechnology, energy harvesting [4]. Piezoelectricity in biological tissue was first reported in 1941 [5]. More recently Majid Minary-Jolandan and Min-Feng Yu at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the USA have studied the piezoelectric properties of collagen I [1]. Their observations support the nanoscale origin of piezoelectricity in bone and tendons and also imply the potential importance of the shear load transfer mechanism in mechanoelectric transduction in bone. Shear load transfer has been the principle basis of the nanoscale mechanics model of collagen. The piezoelectric effect in quartz causes a shift in the resonant frequency in response to a force gradient. This has been exploited for sensing forces in scanning probe microscopes that do not need optical readout. Recently researchers in Spain explored the dynamics of a double-pronged quartz tuning fork [2]. They observed thermal noise spectra in agreement with a coupled-oscillators model, providing important insights into the system's behaviour. Nano-electromechanical systems are increasingly exploiting piezoresistivity for motion detection. Observations of the change in a material's resistance in response to the applied stress pre-date the discovery of piezoelectric effect and were first reported in 1856 by Lord Kelvin. Researchers at Caltech recently demonstrated that a bridge configuration of piezoresistive nanowires can be used to detect in-plane CMOS-based and fully compatible with future very-large scale integration of nanoelectromechanical systems. Researchers in China exploit the coupling between piezoelectric and semiconducting properties of ZnO in an optimised diode device design [6]. They used a Schottky rather than an ohmic contact to depress the off current. In addition they used ZnO nanobelts that have dominantly polar surfaces instead of [0001] ZnO nanowires to enhance the on current under the small applied forces obtained by using an atomic force microscopy tip. The nanobelts have potential for use in random access memory devices. Much of the success in applying piezoresistivity in device applications stems from a deepening understanding of the mechanisms behind the process. A collaboration of researchers in the USA and China have proposed a new criterion for identifying the carrier type of individual ZnO nanowires based on the piezoelectric output of a nanowire when it is mechanically deformed by a conductive atomic force microscopy tip in contact mode [7]. The p-type/n-type shell/core nanowires give positive piezoelectric outputs, while the n-type nanowires produce negative piezoelectric outputs. In this issue Zhong Lin Wang and colleagues in Italy and the US report theoretical investigations into the piezoresistive behaviour of ZnO nanowires for energy harvesting. The work develops previous research on the ability of vertically aligned ZnO nanowires under uniaxial compression to power a nanodevice, in particular a pH sensor [8]. Now the authors have used finite element simulations to study the system. Among their conclusions they find that, for typical geometries and donor concentrations, the length of the nanowire does not significantly influence the maximum output piezopotential because the potential mainly drops across the tip. This has important implications for low-cost, CMOS- and microelectromechanical-systems-compatible fabrication of nanogenerators. The simulations also reveal the influence of the dielectric surrounding the nanowire on the output piezopotential, especially for low donor concentrations. Back in 19th Century France, observations of the reverse piezoresistive effect inspired Pierre Curie to investigate similar symmetry in other physical processes. These endeavours led to significant progress in the theories of magnetism, such as the discovery of the Curie point at which temperature the magnetic properties of materials change. As an avid scientist, he is remembered as happiest in the lab, where he spent most of his time with his wife with whom he shares the 1903 Nobel Prize for physics [9]. As he once said to his wife, "[In science] we can aspire to accomplish something...every discovery, however small, is a permanent gain" [10]. His life was cut short in a traffic accident in 1906 but the truth in his words are evident as his work continues to inspire research and progress in the understanding and application of the piezoelectric effect and other physical phenomena. References [1] Minary-Jolandan M and Yu M-F 2009 Nanotechnology 20 085706 [2] Castellanos-Gomez A, Agraït N and Rubio-Bollinger G 2009 Nanotechnology 20 215502 [3] Mile E et al2010 Nanotechnology 21 165504 [4] Romano G, Mantini G, Di Carlo A, D'Amico A and Falconi C 2011 Nanotechnology 22 465401 [5] Martin A J P 1941 Proc. Phys. Soc. 53 186 [6] CYang Y, Qi J, Liao Q, Li H, Wang Y, Tang L and Zhang Y 2009 Nanotechnology 20 125201 [7] Lin S S, Song J H, Lu Y F and Wang Z L 2009 Nanotechnology 20 365703 [8] Xu S, Qin Y, Xu C, Wei Y, Yang R and Wang L Z 2010 Nanotechnology 5 366-73 [9] The Nobel Prize in Physics Nobelprize.org [10] Pasachoff N 2000 Pierre Curie Marie Curie and the Science of Radioactivity

Obituary for Péter Csizmadia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-04-01

This conference proceedings is dedicated to the memory of our colleague and friend Péter Csizmadia a young physicist, a computer expert and one of the best Hungarian mountaineers who has been missing since the end of October 2009 and whose last scientific presentation occurred during the 5th Workshop of Young Researchers in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2-4 September 2009, Budapest. Péter Csizmadia Péter Csizmadia 1972-2009 The accident: Péter Csizmadia, along with three other young Hungarian mountaineers (Kata Tolnay, Vera Mikolovits, and Balázs Pechtol) disappeared in China's Sichuan region near the Ren Zhong Feng peak of the Himalayas, in the early morning of 23 October 2009. A huge part of a glacier fell, resulting in an extraordinary ice and stone avalanche that covered the valley where they had their camp for the night. Neither their bodies nor their belongings were found by the ground and helicopter rescue teams. A brief CV: Péter Csizmadia was born in 1972. He received an MSc in physics (1996) and a PhD in heavy ion physics (2003) both of these degrees were issued by Eötvös University (Budapest, Hungary). At the beginning of his career his main research interest was centred around quark hadronization (1995-2005). Later he joined the relativity group of RMKI and worked on numerical simulations in general relativity, investigating problems such as cosmological inflation and gravitational collapse in general relativity (2005-2009). In 2005, Péter joined to our relativity group and started to work on the first version of a high precision adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) code, called GridRipper. He was the founder and he remained the main developer of GridRipper until his disappearance. Due to his efforts GridRipper became a fourth order precision AMR code implemented as C++/Java classes for solving hyperbolic systems of partial differential equations numerically. The already implemented and tested applications include the study of various dynamical systems such as cosmological inflation, gravitational collapse of spherically symmetric systems, the production and evolution of micro black holes and topology changes. The code is capable of solving hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDE) with any of the usually implemented integration schemes such as second or fourth order Runge-Kutta, Iterated Crank-Nicholson or Lax-Wendroff. The initial data may be given by analytic expressions, by a set of elliptic equations or by numerical data provided by an independent code. The analytic and numerical methods applied in developing GridRipper are unique in the sense that this code - foremost in the World - is capable of following the time evolution inside the black hole region approaching the developing singularity arbitrarily close (see http://www.kfki.hu/~cspeter/numrel/2009-ekg/index.html). In the meantime András László joined us, and we started to develop GridRipper jointly such that Péter's expertise played a fundamental role in all the new developments. The initial version of GridRipper was suitable for studying only spherically symmetric systems as it was a 1+1 dimensional version. The new version of GridRipper is applicable to generic systems living in 1+N dimensional spacetimes in which the angular degrees of freedom are treated by spectral methods. The effectiveness of the applied method is justified by the fact that simulations that usually require supercomputer background for other methods can be carried out on average PCs by GridRipper. It was in fact the year 2009 when we reached the desired success, and signs of the true pay-back for the energy invested started to appear. The unexpected disappearance of Péter in China happened when a natural increase of interest within the numerical relativity community became visible. András and I have decided to keep it alive and, if possible, develop GridRipper further, the foundations of which could not be laid without Péter's expertise. This decision is supported not only by the fact that we had the chance to work together with a physicist possessing outstanding programming capabilities, but also because we got to know in Péter a remarkably nice person and a good friend. Peter was always cheerful and ready for discussions or to provide support to anybody who asked for his help. With the loss of Péter we all lost an exceptional colleague and a true friend. István Rácz Recent publications of Péter Csizmadia Csizmadia P and Lévai P 2005 Energy dependence of transverse quark flow in heavy ion collisions Acta Physica Hungarica A22 371-380 Csizmadia P, 2006 Testing a new mesh refinement code in the evolution of a spherically symmetric Klein-Gordon field International Journal of Modern Physics D15 107-119 Csizmadia P 2007 Fourth order AMR and nonlinear dynamical systems in compactified space Class. Quantum Grav. 24 S369 Hamar G, Zhu L L, Csizmadia P, Lévai P 2008The robustness of quasiparticle coalescence in quark matter European Physical Journal Special Topics 155 67-74 Hamar G, Zhu L L, Csizmadia P, Lévai P 2008 Strange hadron yields and ratios in heavy ion collisions at RHIC energy J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 35 044067 Csizmadia P and Rácz I 2008 On the cosmological relevance of oscillons, Poster at the Frontiers in Numerical Gravitational Astrophysics Summer School, Erice, Italy, June 27-July 5 Csizmadia P, Rácz I 2010 Gravitational collapse and topology change in spherically symmetric dynamical systems Class. Quantum Grav. 27 015001

PREFACE: Particles and Fields: Classical and Quantum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asorey, M.; Clemente-Gallardo, J.; Marmo, G.

2007-07-01

This volume contains some of the contributions to the Conference Particles and Fields: Classical and Quantum, which was held at Jaca (Spain) in September 2006 to honour George Sudarshan on his 75th birthday. Former and current students, associates and friends came to Jaca to share a few wonderful days with George and his family and to present some contributions of their present work as influenced by George's impressive achievements. This book summarizes those scientific contributions which are presented as a modest homage to the master, collaborator and friend. At the social ceremonies various speakers were able to recall instances of his life-long activity in India, the United States and Europe, adding colourful remarks on the friendly and intense atmosphere which surrounded those collaborations, some of which continued for several decades. This meeting would not have been possible without the financial support of several institutions. We are deeply indebted to Universidad de Zaragoza, Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia de España (CICYT), Departamento de Ciencia, Tecnología y Universidad del Gobierno de Aragón, Universitá di Napoli 'Federico II' and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare. Finally, we would like to thank the participants, and particularly George's family, for their contribution to the wonderful atmosphere achieved during the Conference. We would like also to acknowledge the authors of the papers collected in the present volume, the members of the Scientific Committee for their guidance and support and the referees for their generous work. M Asorey, J Clemente-Gallardo and G Marmo The Local Organizing Committee George Sudarshan

International Advisory Committee

Local Organizing Committee

Participants

EDITORIAL: Plasmas and plasmons: links in nanosilver Plasmas and plasmons: links in nanosilver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demming, Anna

2013-03-01

Silver has long been valued not just for its rarity but also for its broad ranging attractive properties as a conductor, catalyst and antimicrobial agent, among others. In nanoscale structures, silver takes on a number of additional attributes, as properties such as antimicrobial activity show size dependence. In addition plasmonic properties are exhibited, which enhance local electromagnetic fields and can be hugely beneficial in sensing and imaging applications. As a result silver nanoparticles are increasingly in demand. In this issue researchers describe a microplasma-assisted electrochemical synthesis that allows excellent control over the size and spacing of the resulting particles, which are important parameters for optimizing their performance in device applications [1]. Wet chemistry [2] and lithography [3] are common processes for silver nanoparticle synthesis. However, other methods are constantly in development. Biosynthesis approaches have been attracting increasing interest as more environmentally friendly alternatives. Takayuki Kuwabara and colleagues at Xiamen University in China used the sundried biomass of Cinnamomum camphora leaf to reduce silver nitrate [4], demonstrating a cost-efficient alternative to conventional methods which might also be suitable for large-scale production. At Zhejiang Normal University researchers noted that the abasic site (AP site) in the DNA duplex can act as a capping scaffold in the generation of fluorescent silver nanoclusters [5]. In addition the resulting fluorescence of the nanocrystals can be used for detecting DNA single-nucleotide polymorphism. Researchers in Malaysia have also noted the potential sensing applications of nanoparticles of another noble metal for swine DNA [6]. They observed that single-strand DNA was absorbed on gold nanoparticles and led to a colour shift from pinkish-red to grey-purple. The shift was the result of a reduction in the surface plasmon resonance peak at 530 nm and new features appearing in the 620-800 nm regions of the absorption spectra. A number of research groups have investigated the possibility of exploiting the plasmonic properties of silver and gold nanostructures for optoelectronic devices [7-9]. The advantages can be quite substantial. Researchers in Korea successfully used silver nanoparticles to obtain a 38% increase in performance of blue LEDs by using silver nanoparticles embedded in p-GaN [10]. The researchers attribute the improvement to an increase in the spontaneous emission rate through resonance coupling between the excitons in multiple quantum wells and localized surface plasmons in the silver nanoparticles. In their work reported in this issue Kostya Ostrikov and his co-authors bridge the link between microplasma-assisted electrochemical process parameters and the plasmonic response. As they point out, 'This is an important experimental step towards bringing together plasma chemistry and plasmonics' [1]. All-gas-phase plasma approaches have already been demonstrated for the synthesis of nanoparticles of other metals. X D Pi and colleagues from the University of Minnesota demonstrated how one simple gas-phase process could produce stable silicon nanocrystal emitters with tailored size and surface functionalization [11]. Previously silicon nanocrystals had been prone to emission instabilities in air. Now Ostrikov and colleagues at the University of Sydney, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering in Australia and the Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas in China have studied microplasma-assisted electrochemical synthesis of Ag nanoparticles for plasmonic applications [1]. The synthesis uses moderate temperatures and atmospheric pressures and does not involve any toxic reducing agents. In addition they demonstrate how it allows control over nanoparticle size and interparticle spacing to optimize performance in device applications. Despite the overlap in plasma physics and the origins of plasmonic phenomena, studies of the relationship between plasma electrochemical synthesis and the plasmonic properties of nanoparticles have been limited until now. Yet Kostya Ostrikov and colleagues place particular emphasis on the potential of research at 'the intersection of reactive plasma chemistry and plasmonics'. While navigating the maze of intertwining disciplines that feed into nanotechnology research can be daunting, as this research highlights, great insights and advances may be gained where the different strands of research connect. References [1] Huang X Z, Zhong X X, Lu Y, Li Y S, Rider A E, Furman S A and Ostrikov K 2013 Plasmonic Ag nanoparticles via environment-benign atmospheric microplasma electrochemistry Nanotechnology 24 095604 [2] Sun Y and Xia Y 2002 Shape-controlled synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles Science 298 2176-9 [3] Hulteen J C, Treichel D A, Smith M T, Duval M L, Jensen T R and Van Duyne R P 1999 Nanosphere lithography: size-tunable silver nanoparticle and surface cluster arrays J. Phys. Chem. B 103 3854-63 [4] Huang J et al 2007 Biosynthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles by novel sundried Cinnamomum camphora leaf Nanotechnology 18 105104 [5] Ma K, Cui Q, Liu G, Wu F, Xu S and Shao Y 2011 DNA abasic site-directed formation of fluorescent silver nanoclusters for selective nucleobase recognition Nanotechnology 22 305502 [6] Ali M E, Hashim U, Mustafa S, Che Man Y B, Yusop M H M, Bari M F, Islam Kh N and Hasan M F 2011 Nanoparticle sensor for label free detection of swine DNA in mixed biological samples Nanotechnology 22 195503 [7] Berini P, Olivieri A and Chen C 2012 Thin Au surface plasmon waveguide Schottky detectors on p-Si Nanotechnology 23 444011 [8] Reilly T H III, Van De Lagemaat J, Tenent R C, Morfa A J and Rowlen K L 2008 Surface-plasmon enhanced transparent electrodes in organic photovoltaics Appl. Phys. Lett. 92 243304 [9] Bialiayeu A, Bottomley A, Prezgot D, Ianoul A and Albert J 2012 Plasmon-enhanced refractometry using silver nanowire coatings on tilted fibre Bragg gratings Nanotechnology 23 444012 [10] Cho C-Y, Kwon M-K, Lee S-J, Han S-H, Kang J-W, Kang S-E, Lee D-Y and Park S-J 2010 Surface plasmon-enhanced light-emitting diodes using silver nanoparticles embedded in p-GaN Nanotechnology 21 205201 [11] Pi X D, Liptak R W, Deneen N J, Wells N P, Carter C B, Campbell S A and Kortshagen U 2008 Air-stable full-visible-spectrum emission from silicon nanocrystals synthesized by an all-gas-phase plasma approach Nanotechnology 19 245603

EDITORIAL: Reigniting innovation in the transistor Reigniting innovation in the transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demming, Anna

2012-09-01

Today the transistor is integral to the electronic circuitry that wires our lives. When Bardeen and Brattain first observed an amplified signal by connecting electrodes to a germanium crystal they saw that their 'semiconductor triode' could prove a useful alternative to the more cumbersome vacuum tubes used at the time [1]. But it was perhaps William Schottky who recognized the extent of the transistor's potential. A basic transistor has three or more terminals and current across one pair of terminals can switch or amplify current through another pair. Bardeen, Brattain and Schottky were jointly awarded a Nobel Prize in 1956 'for their researches on semiconductors and their discovery of the transistor effect' [2]. Since then many new forms of the transistor have been developed and understanding of the underlying properties is constantly advancing. In this issue Chen and Shih and colleagues at Taiwan National University and Drexel University report a pyroelectrics transistor. They show how a novel optothermal gating mechanism can modulate the current, allowing a range of developments in nanoscale optoelectronics and wireless devices [3]. The explosion of interest in nanoscale devices in the 1990s inspired electronics researchers to look for new systems that can act as transistors, such as carbon nanotube [4] and silicon nanowire [5] transistors. Generally these transistors function by raising and lowering an energy barrier of kBT -1, but researchers in the US and Canada have demonstrated that the quantum interference between two electronic pathways through aromatic molecules can also modulate the current flow [6]. The device has advantages for further miniaturization where energy dissipation in conventional systems may eventually cause complications. Interest in transistor technology has also led to advances in fabrication techniques for achieving high production quantities, such as printing [7]. Researchers in Florida in the US demonstrated field effect transistor behaviour in devices fabricated from chemically reduced graphene oxide. The work provided an important step forward for graphene electronics, which has been hampered by difficulties in scaling up the mechanical exfoliation techniques required to produce the high-quality graphene often needed for functioning devices [8]. In Sweden, researchers have developed a transistor design that they fabricate using standard III-V parallel processing, which also has great promise for scaling up production. Their transistor is based on a vertical array of InAs nanowires, which provide high electron mobility and the possibility of high-speed and low-power operation [9]. Different fabrication techniques and design parameters can influence the properties of transistors. Researchers in Belgium used a new method based on high-vacuum scanning spreading resistance microscopy to study the effect of diameter on carrier profile in nanowire transistors [10]. They then used experimental data and simulations to gain a better understanding of how this influenced the transistor performance. In Japan, Y Ohno and colleagues at Nagoya University have reported how atomic layer deposition of an insulating layer of HfO2 on carbon nanotube field effect transistors can change the carrier from p-type to n-type [11]. Carrier type switching—'ambipolar behaviour'—and hysteresis of carbon nanotube network transistors can make achieving reliable device performance challenging. However studies have also suggested that the hysteretic properties may be exploited in non-volatile memory applications. A collaboration of researchers in Italy and the US demonstrated transistor and memory cell behaviour in a system based on a carbon nanotube network [13]. Their device had relatively fast programming, good endurance and the charge retention was successfully enhanced by limiting exposure to air. Progress in understanding transistor behaviour has inspired other innovations in device applications. Nanowires are notoriously sensitive to gases such as CO, opening opportunities for applications in sensing using one-dimensional nanostructure transistors [12]. The pyroelectric transistor reported in this issue represents an intriguing development for device applications of this versatile and ubiquitous electronics component [3]. As the researchers point out, 'By combining the photocurrent feature and optothermal gating effect, the wide range of response to light covering ultraviolet and infrared radiation can lead to new nanoscale optoelectronic devices that are suitable for remote or wireless applications.' In nanotechnology research and development, often the race is on to achieve reliable device behaviour in the smallest possible systems. But sometimes it is the innovations in the approach used that revolutionize technology in industry. The pyroelectric transistor reported in this issue is a neat example of the ingenious innovations in this field of research. While in research the race is never really over, as this work demonstrates the journey itself remains an inspiration. References [1] Bardeen J and Brattain W H 1948 The transistor, a semi-conductor triode Phys. Rev 74 230-1 [2] Shockley W B, Bardeen J and Brattain W H 1956 The nobel prize in physics www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1956/# [3] Hsieh C-Y, Lu M-L, Chen J-Y, Chen Y-T, Chen Y-F, Shih W Y and Shih W-H 2012 Single ZnO nanowire-PZT optothermal field effect transistors Nanotechnology 23 355201 [4] Tans S J, Verschueren A R M and Dekker C 1998 Room-temperature transistor based on a single carbon nanotube Nature 393 49-52 [5] Cui Y, Zhong Z, Wang D, Wang W U and Lieber C M 2003 High performance silicon nanowire field effect transistors Nano Lett. 3 149-52 [6]Stafford C A, Cardamone D M and Mazumdar S 2007 The quantum interference effect transistor Nanotechnology 18 424014 [7] Garnier F, Hajlaoui R, Yassar A and Srivastava P 1994 All-polymer field-effect transistor realized by printing techniques Science 265 1684-6 [8] Joung D, Chunder A, Zhai L and Khondaker S I 2010 High yield fabrication of chemically reduced graphene oxide field effect transistors by dielectrophoresis Nanotechnology 21 165202 [9] Bryllert T, Wernersson L-E, L¨owgren T and Samuelson L 2006 Vertical wrap-gated nanowire transistors Nanotechnology 17 S227-30 [10] Schulze A et al 2011 Observation of diameter dependent carrier distribution in nanowire-based transistors Nanotechnology 22 185701 [11] Moriyama N, Ohno Y, Kitamura T, Kishimoto S and Mizutani T 2010 Change in carrier type in high-k gate carbon nanotube field-effect transistors by interface fixed charges Nanotechnology 21 165201 [12] Bartolomeo A D, Rinzan M, Boyd A K, Yang Y, Guadagno L, Giubileo F and Barbara P 2010 Electrical properties and memory effects of field-effect transistors from networks of single-and double-walled carbon nanotubes Nanotechnology 21 115204 [13] Liao L et al 2009 Multifunctional CuO nanowire devices: P-type field effect transistors and CO gas sensors Nanotechnology 20 085203

EDITORIAL: Focus on Mechanical Systems at the Quantum Limit FOCUS ON MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AT THE QUANTUM LIMIT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aspelmeyer, Markus; Schwab, Keith

2008-09-01

The last five years have witnessed an amazing development in the field of nano- and micromechanics. What was widely considered fantasy ten years ago is about to become an experimental reality: the quantum regime of mechanical systems is within reach of current experiments. Two factors (among many) have contributed significantly to this situation. As part of the widespread effort into nanoscience and nanofabrication, it is now possible to produce high-quality nanomechanical and micromechanical resonators, spanning length scales of millimetres to nanometres, and frequencies from kilohertz to gigahertz. Researchers coupled these mechanical elements to high-sensitivity actuation and readout systems such as single-electron transistors, quantum dots, atomic point contacts, SQUID loops, high-finesse optical or microwave-cavities etc. Some of these ultra-sensitive readout schemes are in principle capable of detection at the quantum limit and a large part of the experimental effort is at present devoted to achieving this. On the other hand, the fact that the groups working in the field come from various different physics backgrounds—the authors of this editorial are a representative sample—has been a constant source of inspiration for helpful theoretical and experimental tools that have been adapted from other fields to the mechanical realm. To name just one example: ideas from quantum optics have led to the recent demonstration (both in theory and experiment) that coupling a mechanical resonator to a high-finesse optical cavity can be fully analogous to the well-known sideband-resolved laser cooling of ions and hence is capable in principle of cooling a mechanical mode into its quantum ground state. There is no doubt that such interdisciplinarity has been a crucial element for the development of the field. It is interesting to note that a very similar sociological phenomenon occurred earlier in the quantum information community, an area which is deeply enriched by the diverse backgrounds and approaches of the researchers. As diverse as the approaches are the manifold of goals and perspectives for operating mechanical systems close to or within the quantum regime. Already now, nanomechanical sensors achieve single-molecule mass detection and magnetic resonance force detection from single-electron spins although they are operated far from quantum. Quantum-limited mechanical devices promise a new technology with hitherto unachieved performance for high-resolution sensing. This is also of high relevance for macroscopic mechanical resonators used in gravitational wave detectors. Furthermore, the increasing capability to couple mechanical modes to individual quantum systems raises the interesting question of whether mechanics can serve as a quantum bus in hybrid implementations of quantum information processing. Finally, the possibility of generating quantum superposition states that involve displacements of a massive macroscopic object (such as the center of mass of a mechanical beam) provides a completely new parameter regime for testing quantum theory over the amazing range from nanomechanical objects of several picograms up to gram-scale mirrors used in gravitational wave interferometers. We are looking forward to these fascinating developments! This Focus Issue is intended to highlight the present status of the field and to provide both introduction and motivation for students and researchers who want to get familiar with this exciting area or even want to join it. It also complements the conference activities of our community during the last year, where a series of dedicated invited sessions at several international conferences (APS March Meeting 2008, CLEO/QELS 2008, OSA Frontiers in Optics 2008, PQE 2008/2009 etc) culminated in the first Gordon Conference on 'Mechanical Systems at the Quantum Limit'. Given the fast development of the field it was not surprising to see that during the collection of the following contributions new progress was reported almost on a monthly basis and new groups entered the field. We intend to keep submission to this Focus Issue open for some time and invite everyone to share their latest results with us. And finally, a note to our fellow colleagues: keep up the good work! We would like to call the next Focus Issue 'Mechanical Systems IN the Quantum Regime'. Focus on Mechanical Systems at the Quantum Limit Contents Parametric coupling between macroscopic quantum resonators L Tian, M S Allman and R W Simmonds Quantum noise in a nanomechanical Duffing resonator E Babourina-Brooks, A Doherty and G J Milburn Creating and verifying a quantum superposition in a micro-optomechanical system Dustin Kleckner, Igor Pikovski, Evan Jeffrey, Luuk Ament, Eric Eliel, Jeroen van den Brink and Dirk Bouwmeester Ground-state cooling of a nanomechanical resonator via a Cooper-pair box qubit Konstanze Jaehne, Klemens Hammerer and Margareta Wallquist Dissipation in circuit quantum electrodynamics: lasing and cooling of a low-frequency oscillator Julian Hauss, Arkady Fedorov, Stephan André, Valentina Brosco, Carsten Hutter, Robin Kothari, Sunil Yeshwanth, Alexander Shnirman and Gerd Schön Route to ponderomotive entanglement of light via optically trapped mirrors Christopher Wipf, Thomas Corbitt, Yanbei Chen and Nergis Mavalvala Nanomechanical-resonator-assisted induced transparency in a Cooper-pair box system Xiao-Zhong Yuan, Hsi-Sheng Goan, Chien-Hung Lin, Ka-Di Zhu and Yi-Wen Jiang High-sensitivity monitoring of micromechanical vibration using optical whispering gallery mode resonators A Schliesser, G Anetsberger, R Rivière, O Arcizet and T J Kippenberg Optomechanical to mechanical entanglement transformation Giovanni Vacanti, Mauro Paternostro, G Massimo Palma and Vlatko Vedral The optomechanical instability in the quantum regime Max Ludwig, Björn Kubala and Florian Marquardt Quantum limits of photothermal and radiation pressure cooling of a movable mirror M Pinard and A Dantan Mechanical feedback in the high-frequency limit R El Boubsi, O Usmani and Ya M Blanter Back-action evasion and squeezing of a mechanical resonator using a cavity detector A A Clerk, F Marquardt and K Jacobs Simultaneous cooling and entanglement of mechanical modes of a micromirror in an optical cavity Claudiu Genes, David Vitali and Paolo Tombesi Dispersive optomechanics: a membrane inside a cavity A M Jayich, J C Sankey, B M Zwickl, C Yang, J D Thompson, S M Girvin, A A Clerk, F Marquardt and J G E Harris Cavity-assisted backaction cooling of mechanical resonators I Wilson-Rae, N Nooshi, J Dobrindt, T J Kippenberg and W Zwerger Cavity cooling of a nanomechanical resonator by light scattering I Favero and K Karrai Probing the quantum coherence of a nanomechanical resonator using a superconducting qubit: II. Implementation M P Blencowe and A D Armour Probing the quantum coherence of a nanomechanical resonator using a superconducting qubit: I. Echo scheme A D Armour and M P Blencowe Nanoelectromechanics of suspended carbon nanotubes A K Hüttel, M Poot, B Witkamp and H S J van der Zant Prospects for cooling nanomechanical motion by coupling to a superconducting microwave resonator J D Teufel, C A Regal and K W Lehnert

Mathcad in the Chemistry Curriculum Symbolic Software in the Chemistry Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zielinski, Theresa Julia

2000-05-01

Physical chemistry is such a broad discipline that the topics we expect average students to complete in two semesters usually exceed their ability for meaningful learning. Consequently, the number and kind of topics and the efficiency with which students can learn them are important concerns. What topics are essential and what can we do to provide efficient and effective access to those topics? How do we accommodate the fact that students come to upper-division chemistry courses with a variety of nonuniformly distributed skills, a bit of calculus, and some physics studied one or more years before physical chemistry? The critical balance between depth and breadth of learning in courses and curricula may be achieved through appropriate use of technology and especially through the use of symbolic mathematics software. Software programs such as Mathcad, Mathematica, and Maple, however, have learning curves that diminish their effectiveness for novices. There are several ways to address the learning curve conundrum. First, basic instruction in the software provided during laboratory sessions should be followed by requiring laboratory reports that use the software. Second, one should assign weekly homework that requires the software and builds student skills within the discipline and with the software. Third, a complementary method, supported by this column, is to provide students with Mathcad worksheets or templates that focus on one set of related concepts and incorporate a variety of features of the software that they are to use to learn chemistry. In this column we focus on two significant topics for young chemists. The first is curve-fitting and the statistical analysis of the fitting parameters. The second is the analysis of the rotation/vibration spectrum of a diatomic molecule, HCl. A broad spectrum of Mathcad documents exists for teaching chemistry. One collection of 50 documents can be found at http://www.monmouth.edu/~tzielins/mathcad/Lists/index.htm. Another collection of peer-reviewed documents is developing through this column at the JCE Internet Web site, http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCEWWW/Features/ McadInChem/index.html. With this column we add three peer-reviewed and tested Mathcad documents to the JCE site. In Linear Least-Squares Regression, Sidney H. Young and Andrzej Wierzbicki demonstrate various implicit and explicit methods for determining the slope and intercept of the regression line for experimental data. The document shows how to determine the standard deviation for the slope, the intercept, and the standard deviation of the overall fit. Students are next given the opportunity to examine the confidence level for the fit through the Student's t-test. Examination of the residuals of the fit leads students to explore the possibility of rejecting points in a set of data. The document concludes with a discussion of and practice with adding a quadratic term to create a polynomial fit to a set of data and how to determine if the quadratic term is statistically significant. There is full documentation of the various steps used throughout the exposition of the statistical concepts. Although the statistical methods presented in this worksheet are generally accessible to average physical chemistry students, an instructor would be needed to explain the finer points of the matrix methods used in some sections of the worksheet. The worksheet is accompanied by a set of data for students to use to practice the techniques presented. It would be worthwhile for students to spend one or two laboratory periods learning to use the concepts presented and then to apply them to experimental data they have collected for themselves. Any linear or linearizable data set would be appropriate for use with this Mathcad worksheet. Alternatively, instructors may select sections of the document suited to the skill level of their students and the laboratory tasks at hand. In a second Mathcad document, Non-Linear Least-Squares Regression, Young and Wierzbicki introduce the basic concepts of nonlinear curve-fitting and develop the techniques needed to fit a variety of mathematical functions to experimental data. This approach is especially important when mathematical models for chemical processes cannot be linearized. In Mathcad the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm is used to determine the best fitting parameters for a particular mathematical model. As in linear least-squares, the goal of the fitting process is to find the values for the fitting parameters that minimize the sum of the squares of the deviations between the data and the mathematical model. Students are asked to determine the fitting parameters, use the Hessian matrix to compute the standard deviation of the fitting parameters, test for the significance of the parameters using Student's t-test, use residual analysis to test for data points to remove, and repeat the calculations for another set of data. The nonlinear least-squares procedure follows closely on the pattern set up for linear least-squares by the same authors (see above). If students master the linear least-squares worksheet content they will be able to master the nonlinear least-squares technique (see also refs 1, 2). In the third document, The Analysis of the Vibrational Spectrum of a Linear Molecule by Richard Schwenz, William Polik, and Sidney Young, the authors build on the concepts presented in the curve fitting worksheets described above. This vibrational analysis document, which supports a classic experiment performed in the physical chemistry laboratory, shows how a Mathcad worksheet can increase the efficiency by which a set of complicated manipulations for data reduction can be made more accessible for students. The increase in efficiency frees up time for students to develop a fuller understanding of the physical chemistry concepts important to the interpretation of spectra and understanding of bond vibrations in general. The analysis of the vibration/rotation spectrum for a linear molecule worksheet builds on the rich literature for this topic (3). Before analyzing their own spectral data, students practice and learn the concepts and methods of the HCl spectral analysis by using the fundamental and first harmonic vibrational frequencies provided by the authors. This approach has a fundamental pedagogical advantage. Most explanations in laboratory texts are very concise and lack mathematical details required by average students. This Mathcad worksheet acts as a tutor; it guides students through the essential concepts for data reduction and lets them focus on learning important spectroscopic concepts. The Mathcad worksheet is amply annotated. Students who have moderate skill with the software and have learned about regression analysis from the curve-fitting worksheets described in this column will be able to complete and understand their analysis of the IR spectrum of HCl. The three Mathcad worksheets described here stretch the physical chemistry curriculum by presenting important topics in forms that students can use with only moderate Mathcad skills. The documents facilitate learning by giving students opportunities to interact with the material in meaningful ways in addition to using the documents as sources of techniques for building their own data-reduction worksheets. However, working through these Mathcad worksheets is not a trivial task for the average student. Support needs to be provided by the instructor to ease students through more advanced mathematical and Mathcad processes. These worksheets raise the question of how much we can ask diligent students to do in one course and how much time they need to spend to master the essential concepts of that course. The Mathcad documents and associated PDF versions are available at the JCE Internet WWW site. The Mathcad documents require Mathcad version 6.0 or higher and the PDF files require Adobe Acrobat. Every effort has been made to make the documents fully compatible across the various Mathcad versions. Users may need to refer to Mathcad manuals for functions that vary with the Mathcad version number. Literature Cited 1. Bevington, P. R. Data Reduction and Error Analysis for the Physical Sciences; McGraw-Hill: New York, 1969. 2. Zielinski, T. J.; Allendoerfer, R. D. J. Chem. Educ. 1997, 74, 1001. 3. Schwenz, R. W.; Polik, W. F. J. Chem. Educ. 1999, 76, 1302.

Sensing at the nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demming, Anna; Hierold, Christofer

2013-11-01

The merits of nanostructures in sensing may seem obvious, yet playing these attributes to their maximum advantage can be a work of genius. As fast as sensing technology is improving, expectations are growing, with demands for cheaper devices with higher sensitivities and an ever increasing range of functionalities and compatibilities. At the same time tough scientific challenges like low power operation, noise and low selectivity are keeping researchers busy. This special issue on sensing at the nanoscale with guest editor Christofer Hierold from ETH Zurich features some of the latest developments in sensing research pushing at the limits of current capabilities. Cheap and easy fabrication is a top priority. Among the most popular nanomaterials in sensing are ZnO nanowires and in this issue Dario Zappa and colleagues at Brescia University in Italy simplify an already cheap and efficient synthesis method, demonstrating ZnO nanowire fabrication directly onto silicon substrates [1]. Meanwhile Nicolae Barson and colleagues in Germany point out the advantages of flame spray pyrolysis fabrication in a topical review [2] and, maximizing on existing resources, researchers in Denmark and Taiwan report cantilever sensing using a US20 commercial DVD-ROM optical pickup unit as the readout source [3]. The sensor is designed to detect physiological concentrations of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor, a protein associated with inflammation due to HIV, cancer and other infectious diseases. With their extreme properties carbon nanostructures feature prominently in the issue, including the demonstration of a versatile and flexible carbon nanotube strain sensor [4] and a graphene charge sensor with sensitivities of the order of 1.3 × 10-3 e Hz-1/2 [5]. The issue of patterning for sensing devices is also tackled by researchers in the US who demonstrate a novel approach for multicomponent pattering metal/metal oxide nanoparticles on graphene [6]. Changes in electrical properties are an important indicator for sensing. In search of a better understanding of these systems Zhang et al from Southern Illinois University inspect the role of Joule heating, exothermal reactions and heat dissipation in gas sensing using nanowires [7]. The mechanisms behind electrical chemical sensors are also further scrutinized in a kinetics study by Joan Ramon Morante from the University of Barcelona in Spain. 'In spite of the growing commercial success many basic issues remain still open and under discussion limiting the broad use of this technology,' he explains. He discusses surface chemical reaction kinetics and the experimental results for different representative gas molecules to gain an insight into the chemical to electrical transduction mechanisms taking place [8]. Perhaps one of the most persistent targets in sensing research is increasing the sensitivity. Gauging environmental health issues around the commercial use of nanomaterials places high demands on low-level detection and spurred a collaboration of researchers in the UK, Croatia and Canada to look into the use of particle-impact voltammetry for detecting nanoparticles in environmental media [9]. At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the US, researchers have applied wave transform analysis techniques to the oscillations of an atomic force microscopy cantilever and tailored a time-frequency-domain filter to identify the region of highest vibrational energy [10]. The approach allows them to improve the signal to noise ratio by a factor 32 on current high-performance devices. In addition, researchers in Korea report how doping NiO nanofibres can improve the sensitivity to a number of gases, including ethanol, where the response was enhanced by as much as a factor of 217.86 [11]. Biomedicine is one of the largest industries for the application of nanotechnology in sensing. Demonstrating the state of the art, researchers in China use silicon wafers decorated with gold nanoparticles for label-free detection of DNA at concentrations as low as 1-10 fM, a sensitivity comparable to the best signal amplification-assisted electrochemical sensors reported [12]. In another study actin-conjugated gold and silver nanorods are used to detect ATP, a common indicator of cell viability [13]. They show how aggregation induced by ATP-induced polymerization of the G-actin gives rise to a measurable change in the plasmon resonance absorbance of the nanorods. A review of the use of fluorescent silica nanoparticles for biomedical applications is provided by researchers at Dublin City University in Ireland [14]. The first scanning tunnelling microscope in the early 1980s and subsequent scanning probe developments brought the world of nanoscale structures into view in a manner that gorged the imaginations of scientists and the public. New ways of probing structures at this scale revealed a wealth of curious properties that triggered a surge of research activity in nanotechnology, now a multibillion dollar industry. One good turn deserves another and in fact nanostructures provide the perfect tools for the type of sensing and imaging applications that brought such widespread research interest to nanotechnology. This special issue highlights just how broad and innovative the range of sensing nanotechnologies has grown. References [1] Zappa D, Comini E and Sberveglieri G 2013 Thermally-oxidized zinc oxide nanowires chemical sensors Nanotechnology 24 444008 [2] Kemmler J A, Pokhrel S, Mädler L, Weimar U and Barsan N 2013 Flame spray pyrolysis for sensing at the nanoscale Nanotechnology 24 442001 [3] Bache M et al 2013 Nanomechanical recognition of prognostic biomarker suPAR with DVD-ROM optical technology Nanotechnology 24 444011 [4] Hu C-F, Wang J-Y, Liu Y-C, Tsai M-H and Fang W 2013 Development of 3D carbon nanotubes interdigitated finger electrodes on polymer substrate for flexible capacitive sensor application Nanotechnology 24 444006 [5] Neumann C, Volk C, Engels S and Stampfer C 2013 Graphene-based charge sensors Nanotechnology 24 444001 [6] Nagelli E, Naik R, Xu Y, Gao Y, Zhang M and Dai L 2013 Sensor arrays from multicomponent micropatterned nanoparticles and graphene Nanotechnology 24 444010 [7] Zhang J, Strelcov E and Kolmakov A 2013 Heat dissipation from suspended self-heated nanowires: gas sensor prospective Nanotechnology 24 444009 [8] Morante J R 2013 Chemical to electrical transduction mechanisms from single metal oxide nanowires measurements: response time constant analysis Nanotechnology 24 444004 [9] Stuart E J E, Tschulik K, Omanovi D, Cullen J T, Jurkschat K, Crossley A and Compton R G 2013 Electrochemical detection of commercial silver nanoparticles: identification, sizing and detection in environmental media Nanotechnology 24 444002 [10] Cho H, Felts J R, Yu M-F, Bergman L A, Vakakis A F and King W P 2013 Improved atomic force microscope infrared spectroscopy for rapid nanometer-scale chemical identification Nanotechnology 24 444007 [11] Yoon J-W, Kim H-J, Kim I-D and Lee J-H 2013 Electronic sensitization of C2H5OH response in p-type NiO nanofibers by Fe doping Nanotechnology 24 444005 [12] Guo Y, Su S, Wei X, Zhong Y, Su Y, Huang Q, Fan C and He Y A 2013 Silicon-based electrochemical sensor for highly sensitive, specific, label-free, and real-time DNA detection Nanotechnology 24 444012 [13] Liao Y-J, Shiang Y-C, Chen L-Y, Hsu C-L, Huang C-C and Chang H-T 2013 Detection of adenosine triphosphate through polymerization-induced aggregation of actinconjugated gold/silver nanorods Nanotechnology 24 444003 [14] Korzeniowska B, Nooney R, Wencel D and McDonagh C 2013 Silica nanoparticles for cell imaging and intracellular sensing Nanotechnology 24 442002

EDITORIAL: Multitasking in nanotechnology Multitasking in nanotechnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demming, Anna

2013-06-01

Nanostructures are smart. Like phones, where making calls is now just one of a long list of handy functions, researchers are increasingly developing nanostructures that seem a 'Jack of all trades' and a master of several. In this issue researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Northeastern University describe a nanoscale sensing device that not only detects oxygen, water vapour and H2S—at levels of H2S as low as 100 ppm—but powers itself at the same time [1]. With energy high on the agenda in research and commerce the work is likely to prove a valuable contribution in nanoscale technology research, where systems are famed not just for exhibiting rare and highly functional properties, but lots of them. In nanomedicine multifunctionality is particularly topical [2]. Twenty years ago it may have seemed hard to improve on the development of iron oxide nanoparticles capable of targeting proteins so that diseased tissues could be located in the living body through magnetic resonance imaging signals [3]. More recently researchers have demonstrated nanoparticles that not only target and trace the disease, but treat it too. Therapeutic and diagnostic functions are now combined in nanoparticles so often that researchers in the field have adopted a new term—theranostics. At Cornell University in the US, researchers reported the synthesis of gold and iron oxide hybrid nanoparticles that bind to an antigen present in colorectal cancer [4]. The nanoparticles could be traced using magnetic resonance or two-photon photoluminescence imaging, and they could also treat cancerous cells hyperthermally as a result of their high photothermal absorption. At the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in Spain, researchers have investigated the effect of functionalizing nanoparticles on their biocompatibility and internalization [5]. Their results emphasize how charge is an important factor, with cationic magnetic nanoparticles proving best suited to cell tracking by magnetic resonance imaging and cancer treatment by hyperthermia. The introduction of scanning probe microscopy in the 1980s transposed the physics of nanoscale structures from elegant mathematical hypotheses to concrete observables. But if seeing is believing, control is power. Atomic force microscope probes could also be adopted as patterning devices, empowering researchers to manipulate the nanoworld to exacting designs [6]. There is even a report of early graphene fabrication from highly oriented pyrolytic graphite using this approach [7]. One of the natural advantages of patterning with a microscope probe is the opportunity for real-time monitoring of the process [8], and such dual functionality may be applied to current state of the art high-speed atomic force microscopy systems. With the 'coming of age' of high-speed atomic force microscopy, it is now possible to record movies of biological systems at the nanoscale to reveal the processes governing these systems in action [9]. As Toshio Ando explains in his recent review of the field, attempts at manipulating samples with the same probe used for high-speed atomic force microscopy imaging have already been reported. The vista of possibilities this opens includes the potential to observe the re-assembly of biological systems following deliberate breaking and the examination of complicated molecular architectures. The escalating interest in nanoscale research opened the flood gates for ZnO studies, as the community became captivated by the potential application of the nanomaterial's electronic properties in transparent electrodes in liquid crystal displays, thin-film transistors and light-emitting diodes. Zinc oxide's piezoelectric properties have also inspired researchers to investigate the energy harvesting potential of these structures [10]. The functions can be combined to produce self-powered vibration [11] and gas [1] sensing devices. In the sensor reported by Zhong Lin Wang and his colleagues in this issue, the ZnO nanowires generate a piezoelectric signal that acts as both the power source and the gas sensing information as a result of the different screening effects different gases present on the piezoelectric charges. As they explain 'Our results can provoke a possible new direction for the development of next-generation gas sensors and will further expand the scope of self-powered nanosystems'. Over 50 years ago C P Snow delivered and subsequently published a lecture entitled 'The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution'. In it he lamented a gaping fissure separating the sciences and the humanities to the ultimate detriment of civilization and progress. The increasingly specialized activities in academia may suggest that if anything the gulf separating the two cultures may yet be increasing. It may seem that not only do 'natural scientists' speak a different language from 'literary intellectuals' but that biologists speak a different language from physicists, and so on down the increasingly fine dichotomies of academic endeavour. One of the exciting accompaniments to the rise in nanotechnology research has been a certain amount of liberation from these academic segregations. The breadth of fascinating properties found in a single system beg a strongly multidisciplinary approach and has attracted conversations not only between different sectors within the sciences, but with art as well [12]. The resulting cross-fertilisation between disciplines has already yielded an awesome cornucopia of multitasking devices, and no doubt the best is yet to come. References [1] Xue X, Nie Y, He B, Xing L, Zhang Y and Wang Z L 2013 Surface free-carrier screening effect on the output of ZnO nanowire nanogenerator and its potential as self-powered active gas sensors Nanotechnology 24 225501 [2] Torchilin V P 2006 Multifunctional nanocarriers Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 58 1532-55 [3] Weissleder R, Lee A S, Khaw B A, Shen T and Brady T J 1992 Antimyosin-labeled monocrystalline iron oxide allows detection of myocardial infarct: MR antibody imaging Radiology 182 381-5 [4] Kirui D K, Rey D A and Batt C A 2010 Gold hybrid nanoparticles for targeted phototherapy and cancer imaging Nanotechnology 21 105105 [5] Villanueva A, Cãete M, Roca A G, Calero M, Veintemillas-Verdaguer S, Serna C J, Del Puerto Morales M and Miranda R 2009 The influence of surface functionalization on the enhanced internalization of magnetic nanoparticles in cancer cells Nanotechnology 20 115103 [6]Theil Hansen L, Kühle A, Sørensen A H, Bohr J and Lindelof P E 1998 A technique for positioning nanoparticles using an atomic force microscope Nanotechnology 9 337-42 [7] Lu X, Yu M, Huang H and Ruoff R S 1999 Tailoring graphite with the goal of achieving single sheets Nanotechnology 10 269-72 [8] Baur C et al 1998 Nanoparticle manipulation by mechanical pushing: underlying phenomena and real-time monitoring Nanotechnology 9 360-4 [9] Ando T 2012 High-speed atomic force microscopy coming of age Nanotechnology 23 062001 [10] Romano G, Mantini G, Carlo A D, D'Amico A, Falconi C and Wang Z L 2011 Piezoelectric potential in vertically aligned nanowires for high output nanogenerators Nanotechnology 22 465401 [11] Yu A, Zhao Y, Jiang P and Wang Z L 2013 A nanogenerator as a self-powered sensor for measuring the vibration spectrum of a drum membrane Nanotechnology 24 055501 [12] When Art Meets Science: Exhibition of Artwork by Frédérique Swist http://www.at-bristol.org.uk/159.html

PREFACE: Preface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Qingming; Wang, Lihong V.; Tuchin, Valery V.

2011-02-01

The 9th International Conference on Photonics and Imaging in Biology and Medicine (PIBM 2010), combined with the 3rd Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM 2010), was held from November 2-5, 2010, at Wuhan Science & Technology Convention & Exhibition Center, Wuhan, PR China. The present volume contains papers from a selection from the invited, oral, and poster presentations. PIBM is the largest international biomedical photonics conference series in Asia. It was initially held at HUST bi-yearly from 1999. After being held three times in Wuhan (1999, 2001 and 2003), it was hosted once in Tianjin (2005), before returning to Wuhan every year since 2006. PIBM is designed to bring together scientists, engineers and clinical researchers from a variety of disciplines engaged in applying optical science, photonics and imaging technologies to problems in biology and medicine. The scope of this conference ranges from basic research to instrumentation engineering, and biological and clinical studies. It is recognized as one of the largest and most comprehensive international conferences in China, and represents the highest level of worldwide research in this field. In the past ten years, 7 volumes of proceedings with a total of 672 papers were published by SPIE (International Society for Optical Engineering), and a volume with 75 papers was published by World Scientific Publishing Co. in 2007. Proceedings of PIBM 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009 were indexed by EI Compendex, while proceedings of PIBM 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007 were indexed by SCI. Some excellent papers were recommended for publication in the peer-reviewed Journal of Innovative Optical Health Sciences (JIOHS). An increasing number of young researchers present and exchange their innovative ideas on this friendly and professional platform, which has made PIBM an unforgettable annual meeting in Wuhan. This year PIBM attracted distinguished scholars in the field of biomedical photonics and imaging from all over the world, including the United States, Russia, Australia, Canada, Israel, France, Ireland, Japan, Korea and China. The major topics covered at the conference and presented in this volume include: Photonic Therapeutics, Diagnostics and Instrumentations; Tissue Optics and Laser Tissue Interaction; Biomedical Spectroscopy and Microscopy; Multimodal and Hybrid Biomedical Imaging; and Optical Molecular Imaging. The conference voted for the three best student papers; awards were presented to the participant students whose posters were recognized as excellent and who took part in the oral presentation competition. The conference received 133 submitted abstracts, and this volume of the Journal of Physics: Conference Series includes a selection of 53 excellent submissions. The Conference Secretariat and Local Organizing Committee deserve recognition for planning a smoothly run and productive conference with comprehensive, instructive lectures and innovative work displayed in poster presentations. The faculties and students from Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics were dedicated to their work in reception and service during the conference. It is a pleasure to thank all of them for their efficient and hard work. We are also grateful for the financial support from 111 Project (B07038), and the assistance in organization and coordination from Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics and Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Finally, we would like to thank all the authors for their contributions to PIBM 2010 and all the members of the Committees for their cooperation and time spent reviewing submissions. Special thanks are due to the Advisory Committee members Shu Chien, Aaron Ciechanover, Steve Dahms, Da Hsuan Feng, Steven R Goodman, Brian Salzberg, Fujia Yang, Jianquan Yao, Baoyong Zheng and Olivia Ho Cheng for their participation on-site, and their significant contributions to the conference. Wuhan, PR ChinaDecember, 2010 Qingming LuoLihong V WangValery V TuchinConference Chairs 9th International Conference on Photonics and Imaging in Biology and Medicine (PIBM 2010)2-5 November 2010Wuhan, China EditorsQingming Luo, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)Lihong V Wang , Washington University in St. Louis (USA)Valery V Tuchin, Saratov State University (Russia) Sponsored and Organized byHuazhong University of Science and Technology (China)Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (China)Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics (China) Technical Co-sponsored byIBOS-International Biomedical Optics SocietyThe Chinese Optical SocietyThe Biophysical Society of China Co-organized byKey Laboratory of Biomedical Photonics, Ministry of Education (China)Virtual Research Center of Biomedical Photonics, Ministry of Education (China)Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory (China) CONFERENCE COMMITTEES Honorary ChairsBritton Chance, University of Pennsylvania (USA)Bingkun Zhou, Tsinghua University (China) Conference ChairsQingming Luo, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)Lihong V Wang , Washington University in St. Louis (USA)Valery V Tuchin, Saratov State University (Russia) Advisory CommitteeSydney Brenner, The Salk Institute in La Jolla, California (USA)Howard Chen, K&L Gates (USA)Jing Cheng, Tsinghua University (China)Shu Chien, University of California, San Diego (USA)Paul Ching-Wu Chu, University of Houston (USA)Aaron Ciechanover, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa (Israel)A Stephen Dahms, Alfred E Mann Foundation for Biomedical Engineering (USA)Da Hsuan Feng, National Cheng Kung University (Taiwan, China)Steven R Goodman, SUNY Upstate Medical University (USA)Barry Halliwell, National University of Singapore (Singapore)John Hart, The University of Texas at Dallas (USA)George Radda, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) (Singapore)Zihe Rao, Nankai University (China)Brian M Salzberg, University of Pennsylvania (USA)Ruey-Jen Sung, Stanford University (USA)A Dean Sherry, The University of Texas at Dallas (USA)Bruce Tromberg, University of California/Irvine (USA)Fujia Yang, Nottingham University (UK)Jianquan Yao, Tianjin University (China)Yixin Zeng, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (China)Baoyong Zheng, Hua Wei Technologies Corporation, Inc (China) Program CommitteeWei R Chen, University of Central Oklahoma (USA)Zhongping Chen, University of California/Irvine (USA)Arthur Chiou, National Yang-Ming University (Taiwan, China)Frank Y S Chuang, University of California, Davis (USA)Zhihua Ding, Zhejiang University (China)Congwu Du, Brookhaven National Laboratory (USA)Stefan Haacke, Strasbourg University - IPCMS-DON (France)Weiping Han, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) (Singapore)Zheng Huang, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (USA)Zhiwei Huang, National University of Singapore (Singapore)Steven L Jacques, Oregon Health & Science University (USA)Fu-Jen Kao, National Yang-Ming University (Taiwan, China)Hideaki Koizumi, Hitachi, Ltd (Japan)Xingde Li, Johns Hopkins University (USA)Yong-qing Li, East Carolina University (USA)Chengyi Liu, South China Normal University (China)Hong Liu, University of Oklahoma (USA)Zuhong Lu, Southeast University (China)Dennis L Matthews, University of California/Davis (USA)Avraham Mayevsky, Bar Ilan University (Israel)Stephen P Morgan, University of Nottingham (UK)Shoko Nioka, University of Pennsylvania (USA)Yingtian Pan, State University of New York at Stony Brook (USA)Alexander V Priezzhev, MV Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia)Jianan Y Qu, The Hongkong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong, China)Colin J R Sheppard, National University of Singapore (Singapore)Mamoru Tamura, Tsinghua University (China)Sergey Ulyanov, Saratov State University (Russia)Ruikang K Wang, Oregon Health & Science University (USA)Xunbin Wei, Fudan University (China)Da Xing, South China Normal University (China)Haishan Zeng, BC Cancer Research Centre (Canada)Gang Zheng, University of Toronto (Canada)Dongping Zhong, The Ohio State University (USA) Organizing CommitteeLing Fu (Chair), Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)Yuandi Zhao (Chair), Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)Hui Gong, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)Pengcheng Li, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)Bifeng Liu, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)Qian Liu, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)Shaoqun Zeng, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)Zhihong Zhang, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)Dan Zhu, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China) Local SecretariatHua Shi, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)

Japan-China Joint Medical Workshop on Drug Discoveries and Therapeutics 2008: The need of Asian pharmaceutical researchers' cooperation.

PubMed

Nakata, M; Tang, W

2008-10-01

The Japan-China Joint Medical Workshop on Drug Discoveries and Therapeutics 2008 (JCMWDDT 2008) was held from September 29 to October 1, 2008 at The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. JCMWDDT is an international workshop that is mainly organized by Asian editorial members of Drug Discoveries & Therapeutics (http://www.ddtjournal.com/home) for the purpose of promoting research exchanges in the field of drug discovery and therapeutic. This year's JCMWDDT is the second workshop and focused particularly on novel development and technological innovation of anti-influenza agents. The workshop began with an announcement by the Japanese Co-chairperson, Dr. Sekimizu (Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan; Editorin- Chief of Drug Discoveries & Therapeutics, DDT) followed by a speech by the Chinese Co-chairperson, Dr. Wenfang Xu (School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Shandong, China; Editor in China Office of DDT), with additional speeches by Dr. Norio Matsuki (The University of Tokyo, Japan; Editor of DDT) and Dr. Guanhua Du (Chinese Academy of Medical Science, China; Editor of DDT). Fifty-nine titles were presented in 6 specialized sessions (Research Advances in Drug Discoveries and Therapeutics, Drug Synthesis/Clinical Therapeutics, Medicinal Chemistry/Natural Products, Anti-influenza Drugs, Anti-infection/antiviral Drugs, Biochemistry/Molecular Biology /Pharmacology) and a poster session (Drug Discov Ther 2008; 2, Suppl; available at http://www.ddtjournal.com/Announce/index.htm). An annual outbreak of avian influenza in Asian countries including China and Japan has sparked fears that the virus will mutate and then cause an epidemic in humans. Therefore, Asian researchers need to work together to control this infection. This year's JCMWDDT helped provide an opportunity to reiterate the crucial role of medicinal chemistry in conquering influenza and created an environment for cooperative research in Asian countries. (reported on October 1st, with grateful thanks to all participants) Main program Session I. Research Advances in Drug Discoveries and Therapeutics ● Design, synthesis and preliminary activity assay of influenza virus neuraminidase inhibitors by Wenfang Xu (Shandong University, China) ● Infection disease models with silkworms to evaluate the therapeutic effects of drug candidates by Kazuhisa Sekimizu (The University of Tokyo, Japan) ● Japan's governmental approaches to facilitate drug development process by Makoto Shimoaraiso (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Japan) ● Effective detection of the epidermal growth factor receptor mutation by the peptide nucleic acid-locked nucleic acid PCR Clamp by Sakuo Hoshi (The University of Tokyo Hospital, Japan) ● Design and synthesis of p53-MDM2 binding inhibitors by Yongzhou Hu (Zhejiang University, China) Session II. Drug Synthesis/Clinical Therapeutics ● Pharmacogenomics-based clinical studies using a novel fully-automated genotyping system by Setsuo Hasegawa (Sekino Clinical Pharmacology Clinic, Japan) ● Synthesis and biological evaluation of pentacyclic triterpenes as anti-tumor agents by Hongbin Sun (China Pharmaceutical University, China) ● Drug discovery and therapeutics using silkworm as experimental animal by Yasuyuki Ogata (The University of Tokyo, Japan) ● Novel selective estrogen recetpor modulators (SERMs) with unusual structure and biological activities by Haibing Zhou (Wuhan University, China) Session III. Medicinal Chemistry/Natural Products ● Synthesis and properties of isonucleosides incorporated oligonucleotides by Zhenjun Yang (Peking University, China) ● Isolation of antiviral compounds from plant resources using silkworm bioassay by Yutaka Orihara (The University of Tokyo, Japan) ● Synthesis and structural modifcation of tasiamide and the effect of these modifications on in vitro anticancer activity by Yingxia Li (Ocean University of China, China) ● Spirohexalines A and B, novel undecaprenyl pyrophosphate inhibitors produced by Penicillium sp. FKI-3368 by Junji Inokoshi (Kitasato University, Japan) ● Nosokomycins, novel anti-MRSA antibiotics, produced by Streptomyces sp. K04-0144 by OR. Uchida (Kitasato University, Japan) ● In vivo screening for antimicrobial activity of Thai Herbal Medicines using silkworm model by Santad Chanprapaph (Chulalongkorn University, Thailand) ● Novel electrochemical sensor of nitric oxide for screening anti-aging Traditional Chinese Medicine by Zilin Chen (Wuhan University, China) ● Polysacchride from green tea purified by silkworm muscle contraction assay induces innate immunity by increasing the expression of various inflammatory cytokine mRNA in human leukocytes by Saphala Dhital (The University of Tokyo, Japan) Session IV. Anti-influenza Drugs ● Structure-activity relationship of flavonoids as influenza virus neuraminidase inhibitors and their in vitro anti-viral activities by Guanhua Du (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, China) ● Mechanisms and consequences of phagocytosis of influenza virus-infected cells by Yoshinobu Nakanishi (Kanazawa University, Japan) ● Nuclear export inhibitors; a possible target for novel anti-influenza viral drugs by Ken Watanabe (Nagasaki University, Japan) ● Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of oseltamivir phosphate directing toward its stable worldwide supply by Motomu Kanai (The University of Tokyo, Japan) ● Clinical effects of probiotic bifidobacterium in the prevention of influenza virus infections and allergic diseases by Jin-zhong Xiao (Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd., Japan) ● Production of anti-influenza PR8-scFv using a phage display by Normaiza Zamri (Tokai University, Japan) Session V. Anti-infection/Antiviral Drugs ● Emerging infectious diseases and anti-viral drugs: Urgent need to develop effective drugs which cause less resistant virus by Nobuyuki Kobayashi (Nagasaki University, Japan) ● Design, synthesis and antiviral evaluation of novel heterocyclic compounds as HIV-1 NNRTIs by Xinyong Liu (Shandong University, China) ● Antiviral drug screening from microbial products by Eisaku Tsujii (Astellas Pharma Inc., Japan) ● Viral factors that determine the natural course of chronic hepatitis B viral infection by Hiroshi Yotsuyanagi (The University of Tokyo, Japan) ● Effect of andrographolide derivatives having α-glucosidase inhibition, on HBsAg, HBeAg secretion in HepG2 2.2.15 cells by Hongmin Liu (Zhengzhou University, China) ● Current and future antiviral therapy for influenza by Hideki Asanuma (Tokai University, Japan) ● Establishment of an HIV-based pseudotyping system as a safe model for screening inhibitors on bird flu H5N1 entry by Ying Guo (Peking Union Medical Collegee Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China) ● Strategy of discovery for novel antibiotics using silkworm infection model by Hiroshi Hamamoto (The University of Tokyo, Japan) ● Potent neuraminidase inhibitors and anti-inflammatory substances from Chaenomeles speciosa by Li Zhang (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, China) ● High-throughput screening assay for hepatitis C virus helicase inhibitors using fluorescence-quenching phenomenon by Hidenori Tani (Waseda University and National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan) Session VI. Biochemistry/Molecular Biology/Pharmacology ● A novel conjugate of low-molecular-weight heparin and Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase: Study on its mechanism in preventing brain reperfusion injury after ischemia in gerbils by Fengshan Wang (Shandong University, China) ● A novel gene fudoh in SCCmec region regulates the colony spreading ability and virulence in Staphylococcus aureus by Chikara Kaito (The University of Tokyo, Japan) ● Water soluble fluorescent boronic acid sensors for tumor cell-surface saccharide by Hao Fang (Shandong Unviersity, China) ● Molecular characterization of the biosynthetic enzyme for the biotechnological production of tetrahydrocannabinol, the active constituent of marijuana by Futoshi Taura (Kyushu University, Japan) ● Galloyl cyclic-imide derivative CH1104I inhibits tumor invasion via suppressing matrix metalloproteinase activity by Xianjun Qu (Shandong University, China) ● Neuroprotection by inhibition of GAPDH-MAO B mediated cell death induced by ethanol by Xiao-Ming Ou (University of Mississippi Medical Center, USA).

Adaptive Optics for Industry and Medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dainty, Christopher

2008-01-01

pt. 1. Wavefront correctors and control. Liquid crystal lenses for correction of presbyopia (Invited Paper) / Guoqiang Li and Nasser Peyghambarian. Converging and diverging liquid crystal lenses (oral paper) / Andrew X. Kirby, Philip J. W. Hands, and Gordon D. Love. Liquid lens technology for miniature imaging systems: status of the technology, performance of existing products and future trends (invited paper) / Bruno Berge. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer deformable mirrors for high energy laser applications (oral paper) / S. R. Restaino ... [et al.]. Tiny multilayer deformable mirrors (oral paper) / Tatiana Cherezova ... [et al.]. Performance analysis of piezoelectric deformable mirrors (oral paper) / Oleg Soloviev, Mikhail Loktev and Gleb Vdovin. Deformable membrane mirror with high actuator density and distributed control (oral paper) / Roger Hamelinck ... [et al.]. Characterization and closed-loop demonstration of a novel electrostatic membrane mirror using COTS membranes (oral paper) / David Dayton ... [et al.]. Electrostatic micro-deformable mirror based on polymer materials (oral paper) / Frederic Zamkotsian ... [et al.]. Recent progress in CMOS integrated MEMS A0 mirror development (oral paper) / A. Gehner ... [et al.]. Compact large-stroke piston-tip-tilt actuator and mirror (oral paper) / W. Noell ... [et al.]. MEMS deformable mirrors for high performance AO applications (oral paper) / Paul Bierden, Thomas Bifano and Steven Cornelissen. A versatile interferometric test-rig for the investigation and evaluation of ophthalmic AO systems (poster paper) / Steve Gruppetta, Jiang Jian Zhong and Luis Diaz-Santana. Woofer-tweeter adaptive optics (poster paper) / Thomas Farrell and Chris Dainty. Deformable mirrors based on transversal piezoeffect (poster paper) / Gleb Vdovin, Mikhail Loktev and Oleg Soloviev. Low-cost spatial light modulators for ophthalmic applications (poster paper) / Vincente Durán ... [et al.]. Latest MEMS DM developments and the path ahead at Iris AO (poster paper) / Michael A. Helmbrecht ... [et al.]. Electrostatic push pull mirror improvernents in visual optics (poster paper) / S. Bonora and L. Poletto. 25cm bimorph mirror for petawatt laser / S. Bonora ... [et al.]. Hysteresis compensation for piezo deformable mirror (poster paper) / H. Song ... [et al.]. Static and dynamic responses of an adaptive optics ferrofluidic mirror (poster paper) / A. Seaman ... [et al.]. New HDTV (1920 x 1080) phase-only SLM (poster paper) / Stefan Osten and Sven Krueger. Monomorph large aperture deformable mirror for laser applications (poster paper) / J-C Sinquin, J-M Lurcon, C. Guillemard. Low cost, high speed for adaptive optics control (oral paper) / Christopher D. Saunter and Gordon D. Love. Open loop woofer-tweeter adaptive control on the LAO multi-conjugate adaptive optics testbed (oral paper) / Edward Laag, Don Gavel and Mark Ammons -- pt. 2. Wavefront sensors. Wave front sensorless adaptive optics for imaging and microscopy (invited paper) / Martin J. Booth, Delphine Débarre and Tony Wilson. A fundamental limit for wavefront sensing (oral paper) / Carl Paterson. Coherent fibre-bundle wavefront sensor (oral paper) / Brian Vohnsen, I. Iglesias and Pablo Artal. Maximum-likelihood methods in wave-front sensing: nuisance parameters (oral paper) / David Lara, Harrison H. Barrett, and Chris Dainty. Real-time wavefront sensing for ultrafast high-power laser beams (oral paper) / Juan M. Bueno ... [et al.]. Wavefront sensing using a random phase screen (oral paper) / M. Loktev, G. Vdovin and O. Soloviev. Quadri-Wave Lateral Shearing Interferometry: a new mature technique for wave front sensing in adaptive optics (oral paper) / Benoit Wattellier ... [et al.]. In vivo measurement of ocular aberrations with a distorted grating wavefront sensor (oral paper) / P. Harrison ... [et al.]. Position-sensitive detector designed with unusual CMOS layout strategies for a Hartman-Shack wavefront sensor (oral Paper) / Davies W. de Lima Monteiro ... [et al.]. Adaptive optics system to compensate complex-shaped wavefronts (oral paper) / Miguel Ares, and Santiago Royo. A kind of novel linear phase retrieval wavefront sensor and its application in close-loop adaptive optics system (oral paper) / Xinyang Li ... [et al.]. Ophthalmic Shack-Hatmann wavefront sensor applications (oral paper) / Daniel R. Neal. Wave front sensing of an optical vortex and its correction with the help of bimorph mirror (poster paper) / F. A. Starikov ... [et al.]. Recent advances in laser metrology and correction of high numerical aperture laser beams using quadri-wave lateral shearing-interferometry (poster paper) / Benoit Wattellier, Ivan Doudet and William Boucher. Thin film optical metrology using principles of wavefront sensing and interference (poster paper) / D. M. Faichnie, A. H. Greenaway and I. Bain. Direct diffractive image simulation (poster paper) / A. P. Maryasov, N. P. Maryasov, A. P. Layko. High speed smart CMOS sensor for adaptive optics (poster paper) / T. D. Raymond ... [et al.]. Traceable astigmatism measurements for wavefront sensors (poster paper) / S. R. G. Hall, S. D. Knox, R. F. Stevens -- pt. 3. Adaptive optics in vision science. Dual-conjugate adaptive optics instrument for wide-field retinal imaging (oral paper) / Jörgen Thaung, Mette-Owner Petersen and Zoran Popovic. Visual simulation using electromagnetic adaptive-optics (oral paper) / Laurent Vabre ... [et al.]. High-resolution field-of-view widening in human eye retina imaging (oral paper) / Alexander V. Dubinin, Tatyana Yu. Cherezova, Alexis V. Kudryashov. Psychophysical experiments on visual performance with an ocular adaptive optics system (oral paper) / E. Dalimier, J. C. Dainty and J. Barbur. Does the accommodative mechanism of the eye calibrate itself using aberration dynamics? (oral paper) / K. M. Hampson, S. S. Chin and E. A. H. Mallen. A study of field aberrations in the human eye (oral paper) / Alexander V. Goncharov ... [et al.]. Dual wavefront corrector ophthalmic adaptive optics: design and alignment (oral paper) / Alfredo Dubra and David Williams. High speed simultaneous SLO/OCT imaging of the human retina with adaptive optics (oral paper) / M. Pircher ... [et al.]. Characterization of an AO-OCT system (oral paper) / Julia W. Evans ... [et al.]. Adaptive optics optical coherence tomography for retina imaging (oral paper) / Guohua Shi ... [et al.]. Development, calibration and performance of an electromagnetic-mirror-based adaptive optics system for visual optics (oral paper) / Enrique Gambra ... [et al.]. Adaptive eye model (poster paper) / Sergey O. Galetskzy and Alexty V. Kudryashov. Adaptive optics system for retinal imaging based on a pyramid wavefront sensor (poster paper) / Sabine Chiesa ... [et al.]. Modeling of non-stationary dynamic ocular aberrations (poster paper) / Conor Leahy and Chris Dainty. High-order aberrations and accommodation of human eye (poster paper) / Lixia Xue ... [et al.]. Electromagnetic deformable mirror: experimental assessment and first ophthalmic applications (poster paper) / L. Vabre ... [et al.]. Correcting ocular aberrations in optical coherence tomography (poster paper) / Simon Tuohy ... [et al.] -- pt. 4. Adaptive optics in optical storage and microscopy. The application of liquid crystal aberration compensator for the optical disc systems (invited paper) / Masakazu Ogasawara. Commercialization of the adaptive scanning optical microscope (ASOM) (oral paper) / Benjamin Potsaid ... [et al.]. A practical implementation of adaptive optics for aberration compensation in optical microscopy (oral paper) / A. J. Wright ... [et al.]. Active focus locking in an optically sectioning microscope using adaptive optics (poster paper) / S. Poland, A. J. Wright, J. M. Girkin. Towards four dimensional particle tracking for biological applications / Heather I. Campbell ... [et al.]. Adaptive optics for microscopy (poster paper) / Xavier Levecq -- pt. 5. Adaptive optics in lasers. Improved beam quality of a high power Yb: YAG laser (oral paper) / Dennis G. Harris ... [et al.]. Intracavity adaptive optics optimization of an end-pumped Nd:YVO4 laser (oral paper) / Petra Welp, Ulrich Wittrock. New results in high power lasers beam correction (oral paper) / Alexis Kudryashov ... [et al.]. Adaptive optical systems for the Shenguang-III prototype facility (oral paper) / Zeping Yang ... [et al.]. Adaptive optics control of solid-state lasers (poster paper) / Walter Lubeigt ... [et al.]. Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm for multimode beam reshaping (poster paper) / Inna V. Ilyina, Tatyana Yu. Cherezova. New algorithm of combining for spatial coherent beams (poster paper) / Ruofu Yang ... [et al.]. Intracavity mode control of a solid-state laser using a 19-element deformable mirror (poster paper) / Ping Yang ... [et al.] -- pt. 6. Adaptive optics in communication and atmospheric compensation. Fourier image sharpness sensor for laser communications (oral paper) / Kristin N. Walker and Robert K. Tyson. Fast closed-loop adaptive optics system for imaging through strong turbulence layers (oral paper) / Ivo Buske and Wolfgang Riede. Correction of wavefront aberrations and optical communication using aperture synthesis (oral paper) / R. J. Eastwood ... [et al.]. Adaptive optics system for a small telescope (oral paper) / G. Vdovin, M. Loktev and O. Soloviev. Fast correction of atmospheric turbulence using a membrane deformable mirror (poster paper) / Ivan Capraro, Stefano Bonora, Paolo Villoresi. Atmospheric turbulence measurements over a 3km horizontal path with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (poster paper) / Ruth Mackey, K. Murphy and Chris Dainty. Field-oriented wavefront sensor for laser guide stars (poster paper) / Lidija Bolbasova, Alexander Goncharov and Vladimir Lukin.

PERSPECTIVE: Climate change, biofuels, and global food security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassman, Kenneth G.

2007-03-01

There is a new urgency to improve the accuracy of predicting climate change impact on crop yields because the balance between food supply and demand is shifting abruptly from surplus to deficit. This reversal is being driven by a rapid rise in petroleum prices and, in response, a massive global expansion of biofuel production from maize, oilseed, and sugar crops. Soon the price of these commodities will be determined by their value as feedstock for biofuel rather than their importance as human food or livestock feed [1]. The expectation that petroleum prices will remain high and supportive government policies in several major crop producing countries are providing strong momentum for continued expansion of biofuel production capacity and the associated pressures on global food supply. Farmers in countries that account for a majority of the world's biofuel crop production will enjoy the promise of markedly higher commodity prices and incomesNote1. In contrast, urban and rural poor in food-importing countries will pay much higher prices for basic food staples and there will be less grain available for humanitarian aid. For example, the developing countries of Africa import about 10 MMt of maize each year; another 3 5 MMt of cereal grains are provided as humanitarian aid (figure 1). In a world where more than 800 million are already undernourished and the demand for crop commodities may soon exceed supply, alleviating hunger will no longer be solely a matter of poverty alleviation and more equitable food distribution, which has been the situation for the past thirty years. Instead, food security will also depend on accelerating the rate of gain in crop yields and food production capacity at both local and global scales. Maize imports and cereal donations as humanitarian aid to the developing countries of Africa Figure 1. Maize imports (yellow bar) and cereal donations as humanitarian aid to the developing countries of Africa, 2001 2003. MMT = million metric tons. Data source: faostat.fao.org/site/395/default.aspx. Given this situation, the question of whether global climate change will have a net positive, negative, or negligible impact on crop yields takes on a larger significance because additional hundreds of millions of people could be at risk of hunger and the window of opportunity for mounting an effective response is closing. To answer this question, Lobell and Field use an innovative empirical/geostatistical approach to estimate the impact of increased temperature since 1980 on crop yields—a period when global mean temperature increased ~0.4 °C [2]. For three major crops—maize, wheat, and barley—there was a significant negative response to increased temperature. For all six crops evaluated (also including rice, soybean, and sorghum), the net impact of climate trends on yield since 1980 was negative. While the approach used by Lobell and Field can be questioned on several pointsNote2, the body of their work represents an ambitious global assessment of recent climate impact on crop yields. Most noteworthy is their conclusion that: the combined effects of increased atmospheric CO2 concentration and climate trends have largely cancelled each other over the past two decades. They contrast their finding with the conclusion of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that CO2 benefits will exceed temperature-related yield reductions up to a 2 °C increase in mean temperature [3]. It should be noted, however, that the IPCC is coming out with a new assessment to be released in April 2007 (www.ipcc.ch/), and it remains to be seen if this conclusion still holds. The purpose here is not to support or challenge the conclusions of either Lobell and Field or the IPCC, but rather to highlight the fact that there are substantive differences between results obtained from geostatistical assessments based on recent climate trends and actual crop yields versus assessments based on results from controlled experiments in growth chambers, greenhouses, and field enclosures and crop modeling. And while there appears to be good agreement on the predicted impact of atmospheric CO2 enrichment on crop yields across a wide range of studies conducted using different approaches [4], there is less convincing evidence on the impact of warming temperatures. There are three reasons for greater uncertainty about temperature effects. First, it is logistically more difficult to control temperature at elevated levels in studies that allow crops to grow in an 'open-air' environment comparable to field-grown plants. The 'free-air carbon dioxide enrichment' (FACE) systems were specifically designed to avoid such problems for study of CO2 effects and appear to have been largely successful [4]. In contrast, growth chamber, greenhouse, and small-enclosure studies used for temperature-effect experiments have confounding effects associated with differences in humidity, air turbulence, and reduced light intensity that result from the need to more fully enclose experimental units with a transparent barrier to achieve adequate temperature control. Second, unlike CO2 effects, yield response to temperature is often discontinuous. In many crops, pollination fails if temperatures rise above a critical threshold, which can result in dramatic yield reductions due to very small changes in temperature. Also, because climate change is predicted to increase both average temperature and temperature variability, changes in both factors must be evaluated in experiments with realistic growth conditions to fully understand climate change impact on crop yields. Such experiments would require expensive infrastructure with creative new designs—studies that have yet to be conducted, in part due to lack of adequate funding. A third factor is the interactive effect of temperature and plant nitrogen (protein) content on respiration, which is poorly understood. In the absence of such studies, it is sobering to note that one long-term field study in which the effect of temperature on rice yield could be isolated from other factors documented a 15% decrease in yield for every 1 °C increase in mean temperature [5]. The magnitude of this decrease is considerably larger than predictions of yield decreases from higher temperature obtained from crop simulation models. Like the results of Lobell and Field [2], we see a discrepancy between estimates of the effects of warmer temperatures on crop yields based on the relationship between crop yields and temperature under field conditions versus those derived from modeling and experiments conducted under controlled conditions. As we make the historic transition from an extended period of surplus food production to one in which demand for staple crop commodities exceeds supply, there is a vital need to better understand the impact of warming temperatures on current and future crop yields. References [1] Council for Agricultural Science and Technology 2006 Convergence of agriculture and energy: Implications for Research and Policy CAST Commentary QTA 2006-3 (Ames, Iowa: CAST) (www.cast-science.org) [2] Lobell D B and Field C B 2007 Global scale climate-crop yield relationships and the impacts of recent warming Environ. Res. Lett. 2 014002 [3] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Working Group 2 Climate Change 2001 Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability IPCC Working Group 2, Third Assessment (New York: Cambridge University Press) [4] Tubiello F N et al 2006 Crop response to elevated CO2 and world food supply: A comment on 'Food for Thought...' by Long et al, Science 312:1918-1921, 2006 Eur. J. Agron. 26 215 23 [5] Peng S, Huang J, Sheehy J E, Laza R, Visperas R M, Zhong X, Centeno G S, Khush G and Cassman K G 2004 Rice yields decline with higher night temperature from global warming Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. 101 9971 5 Notes Note1 USA (40% of global maize, 56% of global maize exports), Brazil (33% of global sugar, 36% of global sugar exports), Indonesia and Malaysia (81% of global palm oil, 88% of global palm oil exports)—2005 data from FAOSTAT: faostat.fao.org/site/395/default.aspx. Note2 For example, the use of a 'global season' for calculating temperatures is problematic. In the case of soybean, a substantial portion of global soybean production occurs in the southern hemisphere, mostly in Brazil and Argentina, yet the global season for temperature was July August—a time when soybean is not grown in these countries. Likewise the global season for rice was January October, a period in which two consecutive rice crops are grown in tropical and subtropical irrigated systems of Asia—systems that account for a large portion of global rice production. Photo of Kenneth G Cassman Dr Cassman is Director of the Nebraska Center for Energy Science Research at the University of Nebraska and the Heuermann Professor of Agronomy. His work focuses on ensuring local and global food security while improving environmental quality in many of the world's most productive cropping systems. Previous positions include: research agronomist in Brazil, Egypt and the Philippines; faculty member at the University of California-Davis; division/department head at the International Rice Research Institute and the University of Nebraska. He received a PhD from the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture (1979) and a BS in Biology from the University of California, San Diego (1975).

EDITORIAL: Focus on Iron-Based Superconductors FOCUS ON IRON-BASED SUPERCONDUCTORS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosono, Hideo; Ren, Zhi-An

2009-02-01

Superconductivity is the most dramatic and clear cut phenomenon in condensed matter physics. Realization of room temperature superconductors, which would lead to the revolution of our society, is an ultimate goal for researchers. The discovery of high Tc cuprate superconductors in 1986 by Bednorz and Müller triggered intensive research worldwide and the maximum critical temperature has been raised above 100 K. Scientific research on this break-through material clarified a new route to high Tc materials, carrier doping to a Mott insulator with anti-ferromagnetic ordering. High superconductivity occurs in the neighborhood of Mott-insulators and Fermi-metals. Such a view, which was completely new, now stands as a guiding principle for exploring new high Tc materials. Many theoretical approaches to the mechanism for cuprate superconductors have been carried out to understand this unexpected material and to predict new high Tc materials. In 2006 a new superconductor based on iron, LaFeOP, was discovered by a group at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. Iron, as a ferromagnet, was believed to be the last element for the realization of superconductivity because of the way ferromagnetism competes against Cooper pair formation. Unexpectedly, however, the critical temperature remained at 4-6 K irrespective of hole/electron-doping. A large increase in the Tc to 26 K was then found in LaFe[O1-xFx]As by the same group (and was published on 23 February 2008, in the Journal of the American Chemical Society). The Tc of this material was further raised to 43 K under a pressure of 2 GPa and scientists in China then achieved a Tc of 56 K at ambient pressure by replacing La with other rare earth ions with smaller radius—a critical temperature that is second only to the high Tc cuprates. This fast progress has revitalized research within superconductivity and in 2008 there were more than seven international symposia specifically on Fe(Ni)-based superconductors. Through the rapid pace of research within the last year, iron-based superconductors have revealed several unique properties such as a high upper critical field and a robustness to impurities. Participation of five 3d-orbitals in the Fermi levels also means that the electronic structure is complex compared with the cuprates. So, we now have a new family of superconductors and it is worth stressing that we have only just begun looking at the many varieties of candidate materials containing an iron square lattice. At this time we do not know whether a material with a critical temperature greater than 100 K exists, or if completely new properties are to be found. However, as a research community we should go ahead with hope and 'strike while the iron is hot'—this saying is always true! This focus issue of New Journal of Physics was put together to provide a broad-based, free-to-read snapshot of the current state of research in this rapidly emerging field. The papers included cover many aspects related to material exploration, physical analysis, and the theory of these materials, and, as editors, we thank the authors for their fine contributions, and the many referees for their considerable efforts that have ensured fast publication. As an aside, the first special issue on this SUBject was published in November 2008 in the Journal of the Physical Society of Japan (vol 77, supplement c) as the proceedings of the International Symposium on Iron-Pnictide Superconductors held in Tokyo on 29-30 June 2008. We would like to encourage the community to read both issues. On a final note we would like to acknowledge the staff of New Journal of Physics for all of their efficient work in bringing this collection to fruition. Focus on Iron-Based Superconductors Contents Microwave response of superconducting pnictides: extended s+/- scenario O V Dolgov, A A Golubov and D Parker Orbital and spin effects for the upper critical field in As-deficient disordered Fe pnictide superconductors G Fuchs, S-L Drechsler, N Kozlova, M Bartkowiak, J E Hamann-Borrero, G Behr, K Nenkov, H-H Klauss, H Maeter, A Amato, H Luetkens, A Kwadrin, R Khasanov, J Freudenberger, A Köhler, M Knupfer, E Arushanov, H Rosner, B Büchner and L Schultz Low-energy spin dynamics in the antiferromagnetic phase of CaFe2As2 N J Curro, A P Dioguardi, N ApRoberts-Warren, A C Shockley and P Klavins Muon spin rotation study of magnetism and superconductivity in BaFe2-xCoxAs2 and Pr1-xSrxFeAsO C Bernhard, A J Drew, L Schulz, V K Malik, M Rössle, Ch Niedermayer, Th Wolf, G D Varma, G Mu, H-H Wen, H Liu, G Wu and X H Chen Magnetic impurities in the pnictide superconductor Ba1-xKxFe2As2 Sutirtha Mukhopadhyay, Sangwon Oh, A M Mounce, Moohee Lee, W P Halperin, N Ni, S L Bud'ko, P C Canfield, A P Reyes and P L Kuhns Neutron scattering investigation of the magnetic order in single crystalline BaFe2As2 M Kofu, Y Qiu, Wei Bao, S-H Lee, S Chang, T Wu, G Wu and X H Chen An NMR study on the F-doping evolution of the iron oxypnictide LaFeAs(O1-xFx) Y Nakai, S Kitagawa, K Ishida, Y Kamihara, M Hirano and H Hosono The peculiar physical properties and phase diagram of BaFe2-xCoxAs2 single crystals X F Wang, T Wu, G Wu, R H Liu, H Chen, Y L Xie and X H Chen Synthesis of LnFeAsO1-y superconductors (Ln=La and Nd) using the high-pressure technique Kiichi Miyazawa, Kunihiro Kihou, Motoyuki Ishikado, Parasharam M Shirage, Chul-Ho Lee, Nao Takeshita, Hiroshi Eisaki, Hijiri Kito and Akira Iyo Correlation effects in the iron pnictides Qimiao Si, Elihu Abrahams, Jianhui Dai and Jian-Xin Zhu Competition/coexisitence of magnetism and superconductivity in iron pnictides probed by muon spin rotation Soshi Takeshita and Ryosuke Kadono Impurity-induced in-gap state and Tc in sign-reversing s-wave superconductors: analysis of iron oxypnictide superconductors Yuko Senga and Hiroshi Kontani Intrinsic magnetic properties of the superconductor NdFeAsO0.9F0.1 from local and global measurements R Prozorov, M E Tillman, E D Mun and P C Canfield Elastic theory for the vortex-lattice melting in iron-based high-Tc superconductors Q-H Chen, Q-M Nie, J-P Lv and T-C Au Yeung Electronic properties of LaO1-xFxFeAs in the normal state probed by NMR/NQR H-J Grafe, G Lang, F Hammerath, D Paar, K Manthey, K Koch, H Rosner, N J Curro, G Behr, J Werner, N Leps, R Klingeler, H-H Klauss, F J Litterst and B Büchner AFe2As2 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu) and SrFe2-xTMxAs2 (TM = Mn, Co, Ni): crystal structure, charge doping, magnetism and superconductivity Deepa Kasinathan, Alim Ormeci, Katrin Koch, Ulrich Burkhardt, Walter Schnelle, Andreas Leithe-Jasper and Helge Rosner Impurity states in a family of antiferromagnetic iron arsenides Qiang Han and Z D Wang Coherence-incoherence crossover in the normal state of iron oxypnictides and importance of Hund's rule coupling K Haule and G Kotliar Electronic structure of heavily electron-doped BaFe1.7Co0.3As2 studied by angle-resolved photoemission Y Sekiba, T Sato, K Nakayama, K Terashima, P Richard, J H Bowen, H Ding, Y-M Xu, L J Li, G H Cao, Z-A Xu and T Takahashi Absorption and photoemission spectroscopy of rare-earth oxypnictides T Kroll, F Roth, A Koitzsch, R Kraus, D R Batchelor, J Werner, G Behr, B Büchner and M Knupfer Superconductivity in LnFePO (Ln = La, Pr and Nd) single crystals R E Baumbach, J J Hamlin, L Shu, D A Zocco, N M Crisosto and M B Maple Unconventional pairing originating from disconnected Fermi surfaces in the iron-based superconductor Kazuhiko Kuroki, Seiichiro Onari, Ryotaro Arita, Hidetomo Usui, Yukio Tanaka, Hiroshi Kontani and Hideo Aoki Near-degeneracy of several pairing channels in multiorbital models for the Fe pnictides S Graser, T A Maier, P J Hirschfeld and D J Scalapino Investigation of superconducting gap structure in TbFeAsO0.9F0.1 using point contact Andreev reflection K A Yates, K Morrison, J A Rodgers, G B S Penny, J-W G Bos, J P Attfield and L F Cohen Competition of magnetism and superconductivity in underdoped (Ba1-xKx)Fe2As2 Marianne Rotter, Marcus Tegel, Inga Schellenberg, Falko M Schappacher, Rainer Pöttgen, Joachim Deisenhofer, Axel Günther, Florian Schrettle, Alois Loidl and Dirk Johrendt The superconductor KxSr1-xFe2As2: normal state and superconducting properties B Lv, M Gooch, B Lorenz, F Chen, A M Guloy and C W Chu Effect of 3d transition metal doping on the superconductivity in quaternary fluoroarsenide CaFeAsF Satoru Matsuishi, Yasunori Inoue, Takatoshi Nomura, Youichi Kamihara, Masahiro Hirano and Hideo Hosono Influence of the rare-earth element on the effects of the structural and magnetic phase transitions in CeFeAsO, PrFeAsO and NdFeAsO Michael A McGuire, Raphaël P Hermann, Athena S Sefat, Brian C Sales, Rongying Jin, David Mandrus, Fernande Grandjean and Gary J Long Heat capacity measurements on FeAs-based compounds: a thermodynamic probe of electronic and magnetic states P J Baker, S R Giblin, F L Pratt, R H Liu, G Wu, X H Chen, M J Pitcher, D R Parker, S J Clarke and S J Blundell Spin fluctuations, interband coupling and unconventional pairing in iron-based superconductors Zi-Jian Yao, Jian-Xin Li and Z D Wang Superconductivity induced by Ni doping in BaFe2As2 single crystals L J Li, Y K Luo, Q B Wang, H Chen, Z Ren, Q Tao, Y K Li, X Lin, M He, Z W Zhu, G H Cao and Z A Xu Metamagnetic transition in EuFe2As2 single crystals Shuai Jiang, Yongkang Luo, Zhi Ren, Zengwei Zhu, Cao Wang, Xiangfan Xu, Qian Tao, Guanghan Cao and Zhu'an Xu Pressure dependence of the thermoelectric power of the iron-based high-Tc superconductor SmFeAsO0.85 N Kang, P Auban-Senzier, C R Pasquier, Z A Ren, J Yang, G C Che and Z X Zhao Superconductivity in some heavy rare-earth iron arsenide REFeAsO1-δ (RE = Ho, Y, Dy and Tb) compounds Jie Yang, Xiao-Li Shen, Wei Lu, Wei Yi, Zheng-Cai Li, Zhi-An Ren, Guang-Can Che, Xiao-Li Dong, Li-Ling Sun, Fang Zhou and Zhong-Xian Zhao The delicate electronic and magnetic structure of the LaFePnO system (Pn = pnicogen) S Lebègue, Z P Yin and W E Pickett

BOOK REVIEW Cracking the Einstein Code: Relativity and the Birth of Black Hole Physics With an Afterword by Roy Kerr Cracking the Einstein Code: Relativity and the Birth of Black Hole Physics With an Afterword by Roy Kerr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, Bernard

2011-02-01

General relativity is arguably the most beautiful scientific theory ever conceived but its status within mainstream physics has vacillated since it was proposed in 1915. It began auspiciously with the successful explanation of the precession of Mercury and the dramatic confirmation of light-bending in the 1919 solar eclipse expedition, which turned Einstein into an overnight celebrity. Though little noticed at the time, there was also Karl Schwarzschild's discovery of the spherically symmetric solution in 1916 (later used to predict the existence of black holes) and Alexander Friedmann's discovery of the cosmological solution in 1922 (later confirmed by the discovery of the cosmic expansion). Then for 40 years the theory was more or less forgotten, partly because most physicists were turning their attention to the even more radical developments of quantum theory but also because the equations were too complicated to solve except in situations involving special symmetries or very weak gravitational fields (where general relativity is very similar to Newtonian theory). Furthermore, it was not clear that strong gravitational fields would ever arise in the real universe and, even if they did, it seemed unlikely that Einstein's equations could then be solved. So research in relativity became a quiet backwater as mainstream physics swept forward in other directions. Even Einstein lost interest, turning his attention to the search for a unified field theory. This book tells the remarkable story of how the tide changed in 1963, when the 28-year-old New Zealand mathematician Roy Kerr discovered an exact solution of Einstein's equations which represents a rotating black hole, thereby cracking the code of the title. The paper was just a few pages long, it being left for others to fill in the extensive beautiful mathematics which underlay the result, but it ushered in a golden age of relativity and is now one of the most cited works in physics. Coincidentally, Kerr's breakthrough was not the only one in 1963 because Maarten Schmidt also discovered the first quasar, 3C273. By recognizing its redshifted spectrum and hence its huge cosmological distance, he demonstrated that some stupendous source of energy was required. Nowadays, most astrophysicists assume this must involve a supermassive black hole of the kind Kerr discovered, so it was a serendipitous combination of theoretical and observational developments that placed general relativity once more at centre-stage. Both discoveries were announced at the First Texas Symposium of Relativistic Astrophysics in Dallas in December 1963 but met with very different receptions. Schmidt's report generated huge excitement and was the main focus of the meeting. By contrast, Kerr's report was a mere 10-minute presentation - its importance appreciated only by the small group of relativists present, including Achilles Papapetrou, who admonished the audience for giving the talk such a lukewarm reception. Indeed, Kerr nearly didn't speak at all since Roger Penrose had originally been asked to report on his new solution as part of an overview talk. Nevertheless, Kerr's discovery proved to be of equal importance in the burgeoning field of relativistic astrophysics and it soon spawned dozens of other important papers. Indeed, by the time John Wheeler coined the phrase `black hole' in 1967, many of the well-known properties of the Kerr solution - the rotating event horizon, the ring singularity, the inner horizon, the closed timelike curves and the ergosphere - had already been established. The solution was also generalized to the electrically charged case by Ted Newman. Most remarkably, work by Werner Israel, Brandon Carter and Stephen Hawking showed that the Kerr-Newman solution represents the unique end-state of rotating collapsing matter. This means that black holes (unlike other astronomical objects) can be completely described by their mass, angular momentum and charge. This so-called `no hair theorem' explains why Kerr's discovery is so important. Today 15000 quasars are known and all are thought to be powered by Kerr black holes. Indeed, a large fraction of the x-ray background detected by the Chandra satellite is thought to have been generated by such holes, in which case there could 300 million of them in the observable universe. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, after whom the satellite is named, best expressed the situation [1]: `the most shattering experience has been the realization that an exact solution of Einstein's equations of general relativity…provides the absolutely exact representation of untold numbers of black holes that populate the universe'. The account so far will be very familiar to most relativists. However, probably very few know the full story of the events leading up to Kerr's great discovery and that is what this fascinating and informative book provides. It adds three important elements to the usual accounts: it describes the personalities involved, it explains how the solution was found, and it puts the episode in a broader historical context. I will now discuss these elements in turn. Focusing on the personalities is important because science is a very human endeavour - involving passion, excitement, missed opportunity, serendipidity and sometimes tragedy - and this story has all of these elements. The central character is Kerr himself, who provides his own afterword to the book. Surprisingly, he was not originally a relativist at all but a pure mathematician. After his undergraduate studies at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, he started a PhD in group theory at Cambridge. However, it was during this period that he was introduced to relativity by his friend John Moffatt and then further enthused by an influential seminar on gravitational radiation by Felix Pirani at King's College London. A sequence of postdoctoral positions in the USA followed, culminating in his move to Alfred Schild's Center for Relativity in Austin, Texas, where he wrote his seminal paper. The second strength of this book is that it shows how Kerr's discovery related to other developments in the field. Progress in physics is rarely made in isolation and there is a strong supporting cast in this drama. The key to his breakthrough was the simplification of Einstein's equations entailed in studying what are termed `shear-free' solutions. The first clue came from Ray Sachs, whose studies of asymptotically shear-free bundles of light-rays reduced Einstein's equations to manageable form. Ivor Robinson and Andrzej Trautman then considered bundles which are shear-free everywhere but they were looking for solutions with gravity waves rather than time-independent ones and so missed the great discovery. Kerr learnt about these developments at a 1962 meeting on Gravitation and General Relativity in Warsaw, which clearly played a seminal role in the development of his ideas. But what most excited him was the enthusiastic summary of Vitaly Ginzburg, extolling the virtues of general relativity and emphasizing the need to understand strong gravity effects such as rotation. In any case, he returned to Austin convinced that he had the tools required to solve the problem. At first, he was discouraged when Newman claimed to prove that no shear-free space is possible but fortunately Kerr found a mistake in this work. By using coordinates which incorporated the rotational symmetry of the problem, he was able to find an exact solution in which the metric contains an event horizon and is asymptotically rotating. Since the Warsaw meeting played such a crucial role, it is interesting to recall that Richard Feynman also attended the meeting and described it in rather unflattering terms in a letter to his wife [2]: `I am not getting anything out of the meeting. I am learning nothing. Because there are no experiments, this field is not an active one, so few of the best men are doing work in it. The result is that there are hosts of dopes here and it is not good for my blood pressure…remind me not to come to any more gravity conferences!'. The book does not mention this but Feynman's negativity may have resulted from the fact that he attended the meeting primarily to present his early work on quantum gravity. This did not excite the relativists as much as he had hoped, so this may have generated some antipathy. Nevertheless, his impression is interesting because it reflects the prevailing opinion at the time that relativity had made little progress since the 1930s. Feynman clearly did't recognize the significance of the Pound-Rebka experiment (which had recently measured the slowing down of time in the gravitational field of the Earth) or appreciate that a new band of young relativists were instilling fresh energy into the field, unintimidated by the fear (prevalent at the time) of what Einstein might say about their endeavours. The third strength of this book is that it puts Kerr's discovery in broader historical context. It starts with a useful discussion of the earlier development of ideas in special and general relativity. Most of this is well known but it also includes some points which are rarely described in popular accounts. Of particular interest is Melia's account of the exchanges between Einstein and the mathematician David Hilbert in 1915. He suggests that Hilbert may have submitted a paper containing the correct equations of general relativity five days earlier than Einstein, although this is controversial since Einstein's paper was certainly published first and Hilbert may well have modified his own paper after reading it [3]. It is also good to stress the contribution of Emmy Noether, who first found the connection between symmetries and conservation laws. This is described in a book by Leon Lederman and Chris Hill [4] as `certainly one of the most important mathematical theorems ever proved in guiding the development of modern physics'. Since Kerr was himself a mathematician, one important message of this book (at least implicitly) seems to be the fundamental importance of mathematics in the development of physics. This is very topical in view of the current controversy over whether string theory should be regarded as mathematics or physics. One might question Melia's assertion that the golden age initiated by Kerr ended in the mid-1970s. Certainly the detection of stellar black holes, the discovery of the binary pulse PSR 1913+16, the precise measurement of the slowing down of time in a gravitational field by Gravity Probe A, and the discovery of black hole quantum radiation all came in this period. However, in some ways relativity is still enjoying a golden age: it is just that most research now focuses on numerical relativity, gravitational waves and quantum gravity rather than looking for exact solutions of Einstein's equations. For example, the detection of gravitational waves will surely herald another golden age within the next few years. What is true is that old-fashioned classical relativity has again moved to the side-lines and this raises an interesting point. In the search for a unified theory, either quantum theory or relativity must triumph because they are incompatible. Some people (in particular, the string theorists) feel that quantum theory will eventually triumph, with general relativity just representing a first level of approximation to the final picture. However, others (e.g., Roger Penrose and proponents of loop quantum gravity) feel that general relativity will turn out to be more fundamental. It is too soon to decide which side is correct. There are clearly further codes to break. Finally, what has become of the code-breaker himself? Kerr maintained links with Austin until 1977 when Schild died. By then he had become disillusioned with the aggressive nature of science in America. Nor was the aggression confined to the ivory towers of academia, since he was in Austin in 1966, when a crazed gunman in the university tower shot several people dead, one of whom was Kerr's fellow-relativist Robert Boyer. He returned to the University of Canterbury in 1971, where he headed the Mathematics Department until his retirement in 1993. He remains a colourful character, whose interests go well beyond relativity. Indeed, his first love is now rumoured to be bridge! To an end on a personal note, I've always felt a close affinity with Kerr because his surname is a variant of my own. This has sometimes had amusing consequences. On a trip to China in 1985, I was surprised when one of my talks attracted a huge audience. It later transpired that I had been confused with my more famous near name-sake! References [1] Chandrasekher S 1987 Truth and Beauty: Aesthetics and Motivations in Science (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press) [2] Feynman, RP 1988 What Do You Care What Other People Think? (New York, NY: Norton Press) [3] Corry L, Renn J and Stachel J, 1997 Belated decision in the Hilbert--Einstein priority dispute Science278 1270 [4] Lederman L M and Hill C T 2004 Symmetry and the Beautiful Universe (New York, NY: Prometheus Books)