Numerical study on effects of interfacial roughness and microcracks on stress distribution in thermal barrier coatings with temperature drop.

This paper establishes a finite element model that includes the interface roughness characteristics to evaluate the stress concentration in the atmospheric plasma sprayed (APS) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with an uneven temperature field. We further scrutinize the effects of crack initiation at the interface between the thermally grown oxide (TGO) and the bond coat (BC) and in the ceramic top-coat (TC) on stress redistribution by introducing the debonding model for crack analysis. Results indicate that the interfacial residual stress σ achieves the critical value at the end of the cooling stage.

A major role of class III HD-ZIPs in promoting sugar beet cyst nematode parasitism in Arabidopsis.

Cyst nematodes use a stylet to secrete CLE-like peptide effector mimics into selected root cells of their host plants to hijack endogenous plant CLE signaling pathways for feeding site (syncytium) formation. Here, we identified ATHB8, encoding a HD-ZIP III family transcription factor, as a downstream component of the CLE signaling pathway in syncytium formation. ATHB8 is expressed in the early stages of syncytium initiation, and then transitions to neighboring cells of the syncytium as it expands; an expression pattern coincident with auxin response at the infection site.

Evaluation of Chemical-Inducible Gene Expression Systems for Beet Cyst Nematode Infection Assays in .

Cyst nematodes co-opt plant developmental programs for the establishment of a permanent feeding site called a syncytium in plant roots. In recent years, the role of plant developmental genes in syncytium formation has gained much attention. One main obstacle in studying the function of development-related genes in syncytium formation is that mutation or ectopic expression of such genes can cause pleiotropic phenotypes, making it difficult to interpret nematode-related phenotypes or, in some cases, impossible to carry out infection assays due to aberrant root development.

Interfacial Behaviors and Oil Detachment Mechanisms by Modified Silica Nanoparticles: Insights from Molecular Simulations.

Surfactant flooding has been considered as a promising approach for chemically enhanced oil recovery (EOR). However, this technique encounters several limitations, such as high costs, environmental concerns, and reduced efficiency under high-temperature and high-salinity reservoir conditions. Recently, nanoparticles have also been proposed as an alternative for EOR due to their superior properties compared with surfactants.

Numerical simulation of the effect of hypergravity on the dendritic growth characteristics of aluminum alloys.

The cellular automata-lattice Boltzmann method is used to simulate the dendritic growth process of aluminum alloys under the action of hypergravity by performing coupling heat and mass transfer, solidification and flow. The dendrite arm spacing, growth rate, and dendrite morphology vary greatly with the size and direction of hypergravity, and solute segregation occurs. Compared with the gravity of the earth (1 g), hypergravity strongly strengthens the buoyancy-driven flow and considerably affects the morphology of the solidified grain.

Experimental Study on the Chemical Reaction Characteristics in the Calcination Process of an 811 Ternary Cathode Material.

The research on 811 ternary cathode materials is mainly based on synthesis and modification. However, the preparation process of these materials is accompanied by complex chemical reactions, and the reaction process and corresponding kinetic analysis have not been widely explored. Under different oxygen concentrations, this study analyzed the chemical reaction mechanism of the raw material's (namely, NiCoMn(OH) and LiOH·HO mixture, which is referred to as the raw material hereinafter) calcination process by non-isothermal thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, and in situ X-ray diffraction.

Conjugated Polymer/Graphene composite as conductive Agent-Free electrode materials towards High-Performance lithium ion storage.

Polymer materials containing C rings and CO become promising electrode materials for high-performance lithium ion batteries (LIBs). However, the poor electronic conductivity severely restricts its further application. Herein, we design and construct a pyromellitic dianhydride anhydride anthraquinone/reduced graphene oxides (PMAQ/rGO-40) composite as an anode material for LIBs.

Multiscale modeling of gas flow behaviors in nanoporous shale matrix considering multiple transport mechanisms.

This study proposes a multiscale model combining molecular simulation and the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) to explore gas flow behaviors with multiple transport mechanisms in nanoporous media of shale matrix. The gas adsorption characteristics in shale nanopores are first investigated by molecular simulations, which are then integrated and upscaled into the LBM model through a local adsorption density parameter. In order to adapt to high Knudsen number and nanoporous shale matrix, a multiple-relaxation-time pore-scale LBM model with a regularization procedure is developed.

[Abundance and Fluorescent Components of Dissolved Organic Matter Affected by Land Use in a Drinking Water Source].

Regional concentrations, fluorescent components, and sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in a drinking water source in Chaobai River across seasons were investigated here using fluorescence excitation-emission matrices, parallel factor analysis, and fluorescence indexes. Five fluorescent-DOM components were identified, including two microbial humic-like components and one autochthonous tyrosine-like, one reduced quinone-like, and one terrestrial humic-like component. DOM was mainly derived from microorganisms.

Peptide Effectors in Phytonematode Parasitism and Beyond.

Peptide signaling is an emerging paradigm in molecular plant-microbe interactions with vast implications for our understanding of plant-nematode interactions and beyond. Plant-like peptide hormones, first discovered in cyst nematodes, are now recognized as an important class of peptide effectors mediating several different types of pathogenic and symbiotic interactions. Here, we summarize what has been learned about nematode-secreted CLAVATA3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION-RELATED (CLE) peptide effectors since the last comprehensive review on this topic a decade ago.

Phytonematode peptide effectors exploit a host post-translational trafficking mechanism to the ER using a novel translocation signal.

Cyst nematodes induce a multicellular feeding site within roots called a syncytium. It remains unknown how root cells are primed for incorporation into the developing syncytium. Furthermore, it is unclear how CLAVATA3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION (CLE) peptide effectors secreted into the cytoplasm of the initial feeding cell could have an effect on plant cells so distant from where the nematode is feeding as the syncytium expands.

Computational Insights into LiO Formation, Nucleation, and Adsorption on Carbon Nanotube Electrodes in Nonaqueous Li-O Batteries.

Recent theoretical and experimental studies have shown that the formation of LiO, the main discharge product of nonaqueous Li-O batteries, is a complex multistep reaction process. The formation, nucleation, and adsorption of LiO ( and = 0, 1, and 2) and (LiO) clusters with = 1-4 on the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were investigated by periodic density functional theory calculation. The results showed that both LiO and LiO on CNT electrodes are preferentially generated by lithiation reaction rather than disproportionation reaction.

Molecular simulation of CO/CH/HO competitive adsorption and diffusion in brown coal.

Carbon dioxide enhanced coalbed methane recovery (CO-ECBM) has been proposed as a promising technology for the natural gas recovery enhancement as well as mitigation of CO emissions into the atmosphere. Adsorption and diffusion of CO/CH mixture play key roles in predicting the performance of CO-ECBM project, , the production of coalbed methane as well as the geological sequestration potential of carbon dioxide. In the present work, the mechanism of competitive adsorption and diffusion of CO/CH/HO mixture in brown coal were investigated by employing grand canonical Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulation.

Molecular insights into competitive adsorption of CO/CH mixture in shale nanopores.

In the present study, competitive adsorption behaviour of supercritical carbon dioxide and methane binary mixture in shale organic nanopores was investigated by using grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations. The model was firstly validated by comparing with experimental data and a satisfactory agreement was obtained. Then the effects of temperature (298-388 K), pressure (up to 60 MPa), pore size (1-4 nm) and moisture content (0-2.

Cellular distribution of secretory pathway markers in the haploid synergid cells of Arabidopsis thaliana.

In flowering plants, cell-cell communication plays a key role in reproductive success, as both pollination and fertilization require pathways that regulate interactions between many different cell types. Some of the most critical of these interactions are those between the pollen tube (PT) and the embryo sac, which ensure the delivery of sperm cells required for double fertilization. Synergid cells function to attract the PT through secretion of small peptides and in PT reception via membrane-bound proteins associated with the endomembrane system and the cell surface.

Arabidopsis , a Maternally Expressed Imprinted Gene, Promotes Early Seed Development.

In flowering plants, the female gametophyte controls pollen tube reception immediately before fertilization and regulates seed development immediately after fertilization, although the controlling mechanisms remain poorly understood. Previously, we showed that (), which encodes a putative glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane protein, is critical for pollen tube reception by the female gametophyte before fertilization and the initiation of seed development after fertilization. Here, we show that is expressed in the synergid, egg, and central cells of the female gametophyte and in the zygote and proliferating endosperm of the Arabidopsis () seed.

The Role of LORELEI in Pollen Tube Reception at the Interface of the Synergid Cell and Pollen Tube Requires the Modified Eight-Cysteine Motif and the Receptor-Like Kinase FERONIA.

In angiosperms, pollen tube reception by the female gametophyte is required for sperm release and double fertilization. In Arabidopsis thaliana lorelei (lre) mutants, pollen tube reception fails in most female gametophytes, which thus remain unfertilized. LRE encodes a putative glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored surface protein with a modified eight-cysteine motif (M8CM).

Downregulation of chloroplast RPS1 negatively modulates nuclear heat-responsive expression of HsfA2 and its target genes in Arabidopsis.

Heat stress commonly leads to inhibition of photosynthesis in higher plants. The transcriptional induction of heat stress-responsive genes represents the first line of inducible defense against imbalances in cellular homeostasis. Although heat stress transcription factor HsfA2 and its downstream target genes are well studied, the regulatory mechanisms by which HsfA2 is activated in response to heat stress remain elusive.

Carbonylation and loss-of-function analyses of SBPase reveal its metabolic interface role in oxidative stress, carbon assimilation, and multiple aspects of growth and development in Arabidopsis.

Sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase (SBPase) is a Calvin cycle enzyme and functions in photosynthetic carbon fixation. We found that SBPase was rapidly carbonylated in response to methyl viologen (MV) treatments in detached leaves of Arabidopsis plants. In vitro activity analysis of the purified recombinant SBPase showed that SBPase was carbonylated by hydroxyl radicals, which led to enzyme inactivation in an H(2)O(2) dose-dependent manner.

[Diagnosis and surgical treatment for non-functional islet cell tumor: a retrospective analysis of 44 cases].

Objective: To evaluate the methods of diagnosis and surgical treatment for nonfunctional islet cell tumor (NICT).

Methods: Forty-four patients with non-functional islet cell tumor treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University during January 1968 to June 2008 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 9 males and 35 females, aged from 7- to 70-years-old.

hTERT-targeted E. coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase gene/6-methylpurine deoxyribose therapy for pancreatic cancer.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most common tumors and has a 5-year survival for all stages of less than 5%. Most patients with pancreatic cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage and therefore are not candidates for surgical resection. In recent years, investigation into alternative treatment strategies for this aggressive disease has led to advances in the field of gene therapy for pancreatic cancer.

Changes of inducible protein-10 and regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted protein in acute rejection of pancreas transplantation in rats.

Aim: To investigate the role of IFN-gamma inducible protein -10 (IP-10) and regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) protein in acute pancreatic allograft rejection in rats.

Methods: An experimental pancreas transplantation model was established using diabetic SD rats as the recipient, induced by applying streptozocin (STZ). Pancreas transplantation was performed with a physiologic method of portal venous and enteric drainage.

CD44v6 in peripheral blood and bone marrow of patients with gastric cancer as micro-metastasis.

Aim: To detect the expression of CD44 correlated with the ability of micro-metastasis in peripheral blood and bone marrow of patients with gastric cancer and to deduce its clinical significance.

Methods: Preoperative peripheral blood and bone marrow specimens from 46 patients with gastric cancer and 6 controls were studied by semi-quantitative RT-PCR amplification of CD44v6mRNA. Preoperative and postoperative peripheral blood specimens from 40 patients with gastric cancer and 14 controls were studied by quantitative RT-PCR amplification of CD44v6mRNA in the corresponding period.

[Combined multiple organ resection in 16 patients with adenocarcinoma of the body or tail of the pancreas].

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and therapeutic results of multiple organ resection in patients with tumor of the body and tail of pancreas.

Methods: The clinical and pathological data were analysed in 16 consecutive patients with neoplasm of the body and tail of pancreas from 1999 to 2004 retrospectively.

Results: Multiple organ resection was performed in 6 cases of primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma of the body and tail (3 cases of pancreatic cancer, 2 cases of malignant glucagonoma, and 1 case of well-differentiated pancreatic stromal sarcoma) and 10 cases of extrapancreatic malignancy (4 cases of gastric cancer, 2 cases of gastric leiomyosarcoma, 1 case of duodenal cancer, and 3 cases of colon cancer of hepatic flexure).