Showing papers by "Lei Wang published in 2015"

Impact of emission controls on air quality in Beijing during APEC 2014: lidar ceilometer observations

Abstract: . The implementation of emission reductions during the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit provides a valuable opportunity to study air pollution in Beijing. From 15 October to 30 November 2014, the height of the atmospheric mixing layer and the vertical attenuated backscattering coefficient profiles were observed online using a~lidar ceilometer. Compared with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and aerosol optical depth (AOD) data, the attenuated backscattering coefficients measured by the lidar ceilometer were strongly correlated with the PM2.5 concentration and AOD (correlation coefficients of 0.89 and 0.86, respectively). This result demonstrated the reliability of the vertical distribution of particles measured by the lidar ceilometer. By classifying different degrees of air pollution based on visibility, we found that during the transition period of air pollution, which was affected by transport of southerly flows in the mixing layer, the attenuated backscattering coefficient from 0 to 1500 m was enhanced by approximately 1.4 Mm−1 sr−1 (140 %). During the polluted period, the attenuated backscattering coefficient from 0 to 300 m suddenly increased, and the coefficient near the surface peaked (approximately 14 Mm−1 sr−1); however, the attenuated backscattering coefficient from 300 to 900 m decreased gradually, and the average value from 0 to 1500 m decreased by 0.5 Mm−1sr−1 (20 %). The height of the mixing layer gradually decreased, and the ratio of CO / SO2 gradually increased, which indicate that the polluted period was dominated by local contribution. Due to the emission reductions during APEC (DAPEC), the concentration of PM2.5 decreased by 59.2 and 58.9 % and visibility improved by 70.2 and 56.0 % compared to before (BAPEC) and after APEC (AAPEC), respectively. The contribution of regional transport in DAPEC decreased by approximately 36 and 25 %, and the local contribution decreased by approximately 48 and 54 % compared to BAPEC and AAPEC, respectively. The most effective method of controlling air pollution in the Beijing area is to reduce regional emissions during the transition period and reduce local emissions during the polluted period.

Lactobacillus fermentum NS9 restores the antibiotic induced physiological and psychological abnormalities in rats.

Abstract: Gut microbiota play a vital role in maintaining the health of the host. Many factors affect gut microbiota; application of broad range antibiotics disturb microbiota, while probiotic application protects the microbiota. To investigate how probiotics alter the physiological and psychological changes induced by antibiotics, we tested the performance of ampicillin-treated rats in the presence or absence of Lactobacillus fermentum strain NS9, in elevated plus maze and Morris water maze. The results showed that NS9 normalised the composition of gut microbiota and alleviated the ampicillin-induced inflammation in the colon. The levels of the mineralocorticoid and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors were also elevated in the hippocampus of the ampillicin+NS9 treated group. NS9 administration also reduced the anxiety-like behaviour and alleviated the ampicillin-induced impairment in memory retention. These findings suggest that NS9 is beneficial to the host, because it restores the physiological and psychological abnormalities induced by ampicillin. Our results highlight how gut contents regulate the brain, and shed light on the clinical applications of probiotics to treat the side effect of antibiotics and mental disorders.

The emergence of sex differences in personality traits in early adolescence: A cross-sectional, cross-cultural study.

Abstract: Although large international studies have found consistent patterns of sex differences in personality traits among adults (i.e., women scoring higher on most facets), less is known about cross-cultural sex differences in adolescent personality and the role of culture and age in shaping them. The present study examines the NEO Personality Inventory-3 (McCrae, Costa, & Martin, 2005) informant ratings of adolescents from 23 cultures (N = 4,850), and investigates culture and age as sources of variability in sex differences of adolescents' personality. The effect for Neuroticism (with females scoring higher than males) begins to take on its adult form around age 14. Girls score higher on Openness to Experience and Conscientiousness at all ages between 12 and 17 years. A more complex pattern emerges for Extraversion and Agreeableness, although by age 17, sex differences for these traits are highly similar to those observed in adulthood. Cross-sectional data suggest that (a) with advancing age, sex differences found in adolescents increasingly converge toward adult patterns with respect to both direction and magnitude; (b) girls display sex-typed personality traits at an earlier age than boys; and (c) the emergence of sex differences was similar across cultures. Practical implications of the present findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Self‐Assembled Autophagy‐Inducing Polymeric Nanoparticles for Breast Cancer Interference In‐Vivo

Abstract: A peptide-conjugated poly(β-amino ester) that self-assembles into micelle-like nanoparticles is prepared by a convenient and modular supramolecular approach. The polymer-beclin-1 (P-Bec1) nanoparticles display enhanced cytotoxicity to breast cancer cells through induction of autophagy. This approach overcomes two major limitations of the haploinsufficient tumor suppressor Bec1 compared to small-molecule drugs: poor delivery to tumors owing to enzymatic degradation, and unstable, non-specific bio-distribution and targeting in the tumor tissues.

A double-edged sword: The moderating role of conscientiousness in the relationships between work stressors, psychological strain, and job performance

Abstract: Summary Although conscientiousness was commonly viewed as a type of personal resource to help individuals reduce strain or mitigate the impacts of stressors, empirical research demonstrated mixed results. Based on the personal resource allocation perspective, we posited that rather than functioning as personal resource per se, conscientiousness may act as a key factor influencing how individuals allocate their personal resources. The current study examined the moderating roles of conscientiousness in the relationships that work stressors (i.e., challenge stressors and hindrance stressors) have with employee psychological strain and job performance by using multi-source, time-lagged data collected from 250 employees working at two companies. The results showed that both challenge stressors and hindrance stressors were positively related to psychological strain. Conscientiousness moderated the relationships between both stressors and psychological strain, such that the positive relationships were stronger for individuals with high conscientiousness. Conscientiousness also moderated the relationship between challenge stressors and performance, such that the relationship was positive for individuals with high conscientiousness but negative for those with low conscientiousness. Altogether, the findings suggest that conscientiousness acts as a double-edged sword that both promotes performance and exacerbates the stress reaction of employees when they are confronted with stressful situations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

From person-environment misfit to job burnout: theoretical extensions

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the psychological mechanisms explaining the impact of fit on burnout based on meta-theories. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 199 employees participated in three waves with three-week intervals. Person-organization fit and person-job fit were measured in Wave 1, psychological-mechanism variables were measured in Wave 2, and burnout was measured in Wave 3. Findings – Person-organization fit and person-job fit related to three components of job burnout via multiple psychological mechanisms. Research limitations/implications – The findings help to extend existing theories on fit and burnout literature. The research advances the understanding of psychological mechanisms about how misfit leads to job burnout. It helps stimulate research interest to further investigation on their relationships and effects with other variables besides burnout. It also helps understand the construct of burnout. Practical implications – For individuals, person-job fit shoul...

The role of foehn in the formation of heavy air pollution events in Urumqi, China

Abstract: The impact of sandwich foehn on air pollution in Urumqi, a gap town located on the northern lee side of the Tianshan Mountains of China, is analyzed. The results show that during days with high pollution, the boundary layer over the city and the down-valley area can be divided into a three-layer structure, with the southeasterly foehn sandwiched between the northwesterly winds on top and the cold air surface pool beneath. The southeasterly foehn at heights between 480 and 2100 m results in a very stable boundary layer structure. In combination with the decoupling between the foehn flow and cold air pool, such boundary layer structure prevents vertical mixing of atmospheric pollutants. In the up-valley area from the northern lee side flank to the southern urban area, the ground-based foehn confronts the thermally driven valley breeze and forms a “minifront,” which moves northward in the morning and retreats southward in the afternoon. Although the minifront disappears in the early evening, the wind shear of the mountain breeze between the southern suburb and downtown areas is still remarkable, which is favorable for a convergence line to persist around the city all day long. In this case, air pollutants emitted from the up-valley and down-valley areas are transported toward the urban area. Therefore, the air pollutants accumulate daily, leading to the frequent occurrence of heavy pollution events in Urumqi. This indicates that the sandwich foehn plays a critical role in the formation of heavy air pollution events in Urumqi.

Eddy covariance measurements of water vapor and CO 2 fluxes above the Erhai Lake

Abstract: Measurement of turbulence fluxes were performed over the Erhai Lake using eddy covariance (EC) method. Basic physical parameters in the lake-air interaction processes, such as surface albedo of the lake, aerodynamic roughness length, bulk transfer coefficients, etc., were investigated using the EC data in 2012. The characteristics of turbulence fluxes over the lake including momentum flux, sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, and CO2 flux, and their controlling factors were analyzed. The total annual evaporation of the lake was also estimated based on the artificial neural network (ANN) gap-filling technique. Results showed that the total annual evaporation in 2012 was 1165 ± 15 mm, which was larger than the annual precipitation (818 mm). Local circulation between the lake and the surrounding land was found to be significant throughout the year due to the land-lake breeze or the mountain-valley breeze in this area. The prevailing winds of southeasterly and northwesterly were observed throughout the year. The sensible heat flux over this plateau lake usually had a few tens of W m−2, and generally became negative in the afternoon, indicating that heat was transferred from the lake to the atmosphere. The sensible heat flux was governed by the lake-air temperature difference and had its maximum in the early morning. The diurnal variation of the latent heat flux was controlled by vapor pressure deficit with a peak in the afternoon. The latent heat flux was dominant in the partition of available energy in daytime over this lake. The lake acted as a weak CO2 source to the atmosphere except for the midday of summer. Seasonal variations of surface albedo over the lake were related to the solar elevation angle and opacity of the water. Furthermore, compared with the observation data, the surface albedo estimated by CLM4-LISSS model was underestimated in winter and overestimated in summer.

Use of multifunctional phosphorylated PAMAM dendrimers for dentin biomimetic remineralization and dentinal tubule occlusion

Abstract: The disequilibrium between demineralization and remineralization of teeth, especially of dentin, may lead to serious consequences like dental caries that are considered to affect people's quality of life. The employment of biomimetic analogs of proteins to duplicate biomineralization, which is a well-regulated process mediated by extracellular matrix proteins, may provide new insights to solve these problems. Here we report the use of a modified multifunctional dendrimer, synthesized by the introduction of phosphate groups via a Mannich-type reaction onto poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers, to biomimetically remineralize dentin. The phosphorylated PAMAM dendrimers were demonstrated to act, along with an amorphous calcium phosphate stabilizing agent, polyacrylic acid (PAA), as biomimetic analogs of noncollagenous proteins to induce the remineralization of demineralized dentin. Phosphorylated PAMAM dendrimers treated demineralized dentin discs were immersed in a remineralizing solution containing PAA for up to 7 days. The success of this remineralization was examined using attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron microscopy. These results showed that demineralized dentinal collagen fibrils were successfully phosphorylated by the treatment of phosphorylated PAMAM dendrimers and embedded with calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite after remineralization. The surfaces of demineralized dentin discs were covered with newly induced crystals and the patent dentinal tubules were occluded. A good biocompatibility was also determined. Thus, phosphorylated PAMAM dendrimers could be applied as a minimally invasive method of management of dentin caries, employed to improve the resin–dentin bonding stability and also be used in the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity.

Glycation of vitronectin inhibits VEGF-induced angiogenesis by uncoupling VEGF receptor-2-αvβ3 integrin cross-talk.

Abstract: Glycation of vessel wall proteins is thought to have an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular complications in diabetes mellitus. However, no previous study has implicated glycated vitronectin (VN) in the control of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling. To explore whether the glycation of VN affects angiogenic signaling and to understand the molecular mechanisms involved, we synthesized glycated VN by incubating VN with methylglyoxal (MGO) in vitro and identified the formation of glycated VN by an LC–ESI–MS/MS-based method. We tested the hypothesis that glycation of VN downregulates VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) activation by uncoupling the interaction between VEGFR-2 and αvβ3. Unmodified and MGO-glycated VN were used as substrates for human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The effects of glycated VN on VEGF signaling in HUVECs were investigated. The glycation of VN inhibited VEGF-induced phosphorylation of VEGFR-2 and the intracellular signaling pathway downstream of VEGFR-2. Glycated VN inhibited the binding of VEGFR-2 to β3 integrin and inhibited the phosphorylation of β3 integrin. Furthermore, glycation of VN significantly decreased VEGF-induced migration of HUVECs in vitro and vessel outgrowth in an ex vivo angiogenesis model. Collectively, these data indicate that the glycation of VN inhibits VEGF-induced VEGFR-2 activation by uncoupling VEGFR-2–αvβ3 integrin cross-talk. The glycation of VN causes a reduction in the migration of endothelial cells and vessel outgrowth. This may provide a mechanism for the failure of collateral sprouting in diabetic microangiopathy.

Use of Poly (Amidoamine) Dendrimer for Dentinal Tubule Occlusion: A Preliminary Study

Abstract: The occlusion of dentinal tubules is an effective method to alleviate the symptoms caused by dentin hypersensitivity, a significant health problem in dentistry and daily life. The in situ mineralization within dentinal tubules is a promising treatment for dentin hypersensitivity as it induces the formation of mineral on the sensitive regions and occludes the dentinal tubules. This study was carried out to evaluate the in vitro effect of a whole generation poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer (G3.0) on dentinal tubule occlusion by inducing mineralization within dentinal tubules. Dentin discs were treated with PAMAM dendrimers using two methods, followed by the in vitro characterization using Attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). These results showed that G3.0 PAMAM dendrimers coated on dentin surface and infiltrated in dentinal tubules could induce hydroxyapatite formation and resulted in effective dentinal tubule occlusion. Moreover, crosslinked PAMAM dendrimers could induce the remineralization of demineralized dentin and thus had the potential in dentinal tubule occlusion. In this in vitro study, dentinal tubules occlusion could be achieved by using PAMAM dendrimers. This could lead to the development of a new therapeutic technique for the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity.

Optical study of phase transitions in single-crystalline RuP

Abstract: RuP single crystals of MnP-type orthorhombic structure were synthesized by the Sn flux method. Temperature-dependent x-ray diffraction measurements reveal that the compound experiences two structural phase transitions, which are further confirmed by enormous anomalies shown in temperature-dependent resistivity and magnetic susceptibility. Particularly, the resistivity drops monotonically upon temperature cooling below the second transition, indicating that the material shows metallic behavior, in sharp contrast with the insulating ground state of polycrystalline samples. Optical conductivity measurements were also performed in order to unravel the mechanism of these two transitions. The measurement revealed a sudden reconstruction of band structure over a broad energy scale and a significant removal of conducting carriers below the first phase transition, while a charge-density-wave-like energy gap opens below the second phase transition.

The ‘warm’ side of coldness: Cold promotes interpersonal warmth in negative contexts

Abstract: The concrete experience of physical warmth has been demonstrated to promote interpersonal warmth. This well-documented link, however, tells only half of the story. In the current study, we thus examined whether physical coldness can also increase interpersonal warmth under certain circumstances. We conducted three experiments to demonstrate that the relationship between the experience of physical temperature and interpersonal outcomes is context dependent. Experiment 1 showed that participants touching cold (vs. warm) objects were more willing to forgive a peer's dishonest behaviour. Experiment 2 demonstrated the fully interactive effect of temperature and context on interpersonal warmth: Participants touching cold (vs. warm) objects were less likely to assist an individual who had provided them with good service (positive social context), but more likely to assist an individual who had provided them with poor service (negative social context). Experiment 3 replicated the results of Experiment 2 using the likelihood to complain, a hostility-related indicator, as the dependent variable: In a pleasant queue (positive social context), participants touching cold objects were more likely to complain and those touching warm objects were less likely to complain compared with the control group. This pattern was reversed in an annoying queue (negative social context).

Volcanic structure of the Tarim flood basalt revealed through 3-D seismological imaging

Abstract: The detailed structures of the volcanic edifice and plumbing system of the early Permian Tarim flood basalt were investigated by three-dimensional seismic imaging. The images show that the Tarim flood basalt erupted from central volcanoes distributed along major faults. The uppermost magma formed a single lava lobe with a volume of ~0.74 km3 and an aspect ratio of 50, implying a sheet flow eruption with a high effusion rate. At the subsurface level, all central volcanoes, irrespective of size, had a separate pipe-like feeder vent. Only thirteen dikes were identified at shallow depths of <100 m below the lava surface; deeper dikes were even rarer. The pipe-like plumbing system and the paucity of dilational dikes were different from the typical plumbing system of flood basalt provinces on Earth, which are normally buoyancy-controlled dike–sill networks. A gas-driven vigorous eruption can be inferred from the imaged structure, which means that the Tarim flood basalt may have carried and released a large proportion of volcanic gas, similar to some mafic volcaniclastic deposit-bearing continental flood basalt provinces.

Temperature-induced work function changes in Mn1.56Co0.96Ni0.48O4 thin films

Abstract: The variations of work functions in Mn1.56Co0.96Ni0.48O4 (MCN) thin films are investigated in the temperature range from 30 to 80 °C. The high resolution images of the contact potential difference (CPD) of MCN thin films were obtained through Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and the correlations between the work functions and temperatures were demonstrated through the imaginary part of the dielectric functions. The complex dielectric spectra are temperature dependent while their intensities have the inverse trend according to the work functions. The phenomenon can be interpreted by different chemical states that relate to the Mn3+ state.

Non-sympathetic FRN responses to drops in others’ stocks

Abstract: Previous neuroeconomic studies have observed that people display sympathetic neural responses toward others' misfortunes. We argue that the reverse emotions, such as gloating or schadenfreude, may also emerge in certain circumstances. To examine this theory, we recorded feedback-related negativity (FRN) toward others' large or small gains or losses in a stock market context. We adopted the framework of social distance, according to which we hypothesized that because others in the stock market are far away, unidentified, and indistinct, people would show less sympathy or even schadenfreude toward others' large losses. The results indicated that FRN at Fz was significantly less negative when observing larger decreases in others' stock, indicating that others' large losses are not unexpected negative events in the stock market and suggesting the existence of schadenfreude. Our research contributes to the understanding of social neurofinance by demonstrating the schadenfreude effect in relation to the stock market. This study also provides new information regarding the relationship between FRN and the social emotions that form the expectations of gain and loss.

Design and Fabrication of a Cross-Warm-Bore Split-Gap Superconducting Magnet System

Abstract: There are very strong requirements for the magnets with very high magnetic field for experimental facilities used in the new generations of special material processing devices. A high magnetic field superconducting magnet has been designed with the center field of 8 T, warm bore of 100 mm, and warm split-gap of 100 mm. The maximum magnetic field in the superconducting winding is about 11 T. Two GM cryocoolers are employed to cool down the system. The magnet consists of two high temperature superconducting coils with commercially available Bi-2223 tapes and six NbTi superconducting coils. There is very strong attractive force between the split-pairs coils. The design, fabrication and test of the superconducting magnet are reported in this paper.

Effect of pre-oxidation on the isothermal and cyclic oxidation behaviour of cold-sprayed NiCoCrAlY coating

Abstract: The effects of vacuum pre-oxidation treatment on the isothermal and cyclic oxidation behaviour of a cold-sprayed NiCoCrAlY coating are investigated. It is found that the cold-sprayed NiCoCrAlY coating has a dense structure with low oxygen content and consists of a single γ-matrix phase. A uniform and continuous α-Al2O3 layer with a thickness of 0.47 ± 0.02 μm can be obtained by pre-oxidation treatment in a vacuum environment. The pre-oxidation treatment decreases the growth rate of thermally grown oxide by the formation of Al2O3 with larger grain sizes and thus improves the thermal cyclic life of coating. Surface-geometry imperfections are the source of initial spallation of thermally grown oxide.

Analysis of Current Distribution in Bi-2223/Ag Insert Pancake Coil

Abstract: A Bi-2223/Ag insert was fabricated to assemble a high field superconducting magnet. The insert consists of 17 double pancakes, with turn to turn and layer to layer insulations. To get the current distribution in each turn of the pancake coil, a numerical method of magnetization in a thin film derived from E.Zeldov was employed. To improve the calculation accuracy, we add the I C data tested from the experiments into the code directly. In the calculation, we take several different cases into account, such as High Field-Low Current (HFLC) case, Low Field-High Current (LFHC) case, which will have an effect on the current distributions. The overall process is divided into three sections: Firstly, we calculate the nonuniform but symmetrical transport current distributions through the transport current model. Secondly, the non-uniform and asymmetrical transport current distributions is recalculated through the magnetic field and transport current model. Thirdly, the screening current distributions are calculated after the coil is discharged.

Microorganism preparation method for growing soft magnetic ferrite on surfaces of bismuth ferrite thin films

Abstract: The invention relates to a microorganism preparation method for growing soft magnetic ferrite on the surfaces of bismuth ferrite thin films. The method includes the steps of developing a heterostructure that soft magnetic ferrite grows on the surfaces of the bismuth ferrite thin films; preparing iron oxide hydroxide doped with zinc and magnesium or doped with zinc an manganese or doped with zinc and nickel through the peptization backflow technology, wherein the particle size of the iron oxide hydroxide is about 50 manometers; preparing the eight layers of bismuth ferrite thin films on a platinum substrate through the sol-gel method and the spin-coating method; synchronously achieving the process of conducting reduction synthesis on ferric iron to form the soft magnetic ferrite and the process of conducting reduction intercalation on the ferric iron on the surfaces of the thin films under the room-temperature anaerobic condition through shewanella putrefaciens (MR-1), and obtaining a soft magnetic ferrite-bismuth ferrite thin film. Compared with the prior art, the method has the advantages of being low in price, simple in process, small in pollution, low in energy consumption, high in recovery rate and the like. The soft magnetic ferrite-bismuth ferrite thin film obtained through the method has the good photomagnetic and fluorescence enhancement characteristics.

Culture medium capable of inducing embryonic stem cells into myocardial cells and application of culture medium

Abstract: The invention provides a culture medium capable of inducing embryonic stem cells into myocardial cells. The culture medium is clear in chemical components, is a liquid culture medium with clear chemical components and comprises a basal culture medium RPMI-1640 and further comprises 1-3mg/L of L-carnitine, 0.5-2mg/L of ethanolamine, 10-20mg/L of putrescine, 0.01-0.02mg/L of selenite sodium, 0.5-2mg/L of linoleic acid, 3-6mg/L of transferrin, 50-200mg/L of vitamin C and/or vitamin C magnesium phosphate and 50-500upsilonM N-acetylcysteine. The invention also provides a preparation method and an application method of the culture medium. The culture medium is clear in chemical components, low in cost and very conductive to large-scale preparation and clinical application of myocardial cells.

Oxidation-resistance of (TiAlSiY)N coatings at 850°C

Abstract: Composite Ti0·3Al0·7N, Ti0·39Al0·55Si0·05Y0·01N hard coatings were deposited on wrought martensitic steel 1Cr11Ni2W2MoV for aero-engine compressor blades by magnetron sputtering system with the bias voltage of 0 and −100 V, respectively. Pulsed bias and the doping with Si and Y give rise to the change of phase structure and improvement of structure density. The (TiAlSiY)N coatings have the similar typical columnar structure as (TiAl)N coatings. Introduction of small amounts of Si and Y into (TiAl)N significantly improves the oxidation resistance at 850°C. The superior oxidation-resistance of (TiAlSiY)N is based on the formation of dense protective Al2O3 layer.

Effects of low frequency electromagnetic field on efficiency of refiner and hydrogen concentration in pure aluminium

Abstract: For aluminium alloys, the sizes of the grains can be important in determining the performance in structural applications. Al–Ti–B master alloy is a good grain refiner for aluminium alloys, but the fraction of particles which nucleate grains is small. The possibility of increasing the efficiency of refiner is studied in this research. The experimental results show that the efficiency of refiner is improved by applying low frequency electromagnetic field. In addition, hydrogen concentration in the melt is reduced from 0.19 mL/100 g to 0.16 mL/100 g when the current intensity is 100 A.

Detection of cytochrome P450 3A4 gene polymorphism guides for labor analgesia with sufentanil medication

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms( SNPs)of cytochrome P450( CYP450) 3A4 rs2242480 and inter-individual differences of sufentanil consumption in accouchement sans douleur. Methods: A total of 131 parturient women were collected. According to the distribution of genotypes and allele frequencies of rs2242480,the doses of sufentanil were individually designed. CC homozygotes were given the standard analgesia dose,CT heterozygotes and TT homozygotes were given 87. 6% of standard sufentanil dose. Results: Visual analogue score( VAS) between CC group and CT / TT group were 3. 67 ± 1. 2 and 3. 44 ± 1. 5,consistent with the expected analgesic standards.The difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The parturient women carrying CT heterozygotes and TT homozygotes of CYP3A4 rs2242480 required less sufentanil in accouchement sans douleur.

The diamond radiation detector with an Ohmic contact using diamond-like carbon interlayer

Abstract: A diamond-like carbon thin layer was used as an interlayer between a free-standing diamond substrate grown by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition and a Pt/Au layer. The dark-current of about 5·0 pA cm−2 was found for this detector at an electric field of 200 V cm−1. Ohmic contact was achieved by this diamond-like carbon/Pt/Au trilayer structure as evidenced by a linear dark I-V curve. The ratios of photocurrent to dark-current were about 26 and 35 for diamond detectors with Ti/Pt/Au and diamond-like carbon/Pt/Au trilayer electrodes, respectively. The energy resolution for the diamond detector with diamond-like carbon/Pt/Au electrode was about 3·30%, better than 4·56% for the detector with Ti/Pt/Au electrode.

Synthesis of 3 Mg(OH)2·MgCl2·8H2O nanowires from Mg(OH)2 micro-agglomerates

Abstract: The influence of the activity of Mg(OH)2 on the formation of magnesium hydroxide chloride hydrate 3 Mg(OH)2·MgCl2·8H2O (abbreviated as 318MHCH) nanowires was investigated in this paper. Active Mg(OH)2 was synthesised from Mg(OH)2 agglomerates via calcination at 500°C for 1 hour followed by hydration in water at 80°C for 1 hour. The calcination–hydration pretreatment led to the increase of the specific surface area of Mg(OH)2 from 11·4 to 46·7 m2 g−1 and the decrease of the primary crystallite sizes of (001) from 20·6 to 13·7 nm. 318MHCH nanowires with a length of 80–120 μm and a diameter of 50–100 nm were produced by aging of the mixture containing active Mg(OH)2 and 4 mol L−1 MgCl2 at 80°C for 24 hours.