Interplay between multiple charge-density waves and the relationship with superconductivity in Pdx_xHoTe3_{3}

HoTe$_{3}$, a member of the rare-earth tritelluride ($R$Te$_{3}$) family, and its Pd-intercalated compounds, Pd$_x$HoTe$_{3}$, where superconductivity (SC) sets in as the charge-density wave (CDW) transition is suppressed by the intercalation of a small amount of Pd, are investigated using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and electrical resistivity. Two incommensurate CDWs with perpendicular nesting vectors are observed in HoTe$_{3}$ at low temperatures. With a slight Pd intercalation ($x$ = 0.01), the large CDW gap decreases and the small one increases. The momentum dependence of the gaps along the inner Fermi surface (FS) evolves from orthorhombicity to near tetragonality, manifesting the competition between two CDW orders. At $x$ = 0.02, both CDW gaps decreases with the emergence of SC. Further increasing the content of Pd for $x$ = 0.04 will completely suppress the CDW instabilities and give rise to the maximal SC order. The evolution of the electronic structures and electron-phonon couplings (EPCs) of the multiple CDWs upon Pd intercalation are carefully scrutinized. We discuss the interplay between multiple CDW orders, and the competition between CDW and SC in detail.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Equipments for Crop Protection:Standardization Development in China

 The history of standardization for crop protection equipments was reviewed to analyze the trends of standards preparation in this paper. The currently active standards were firstly reviewed by their attributes to present the general state of art. The trends of standard preparation, through which the overall development of crop protection equipments are reflected, were interpreted by descriptive items. Finally the future development was predicted as suggestions for decision-making in policy constitution

Effects of salt stress and nitrogen application on growth and ion accumulation of Suaeda salsa plants

Suaeda salsa is a typical pioneer species which can grow well in high salt environmental conditions. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of different levels of salinity (5.25, 10.5 and 21g NaCl per kg soil) and nutrient supply (0, 0.3, 0.6 and 1.2g urea per kg soil) on plant morphology, biomass, accumulation of ions and C/N ratio in leaves of S. salsa. The results showed that the plant height, number of branches, length of branches and diameter of shoot were significantly affected by salt stress, and the nitrogen released the negative effects of salt. The nitrogen treatment increased the biomass ofleaf, shoot and root. Leaf water content was significantly affected by the interaction of salt stress andnitrogen treatment. The content of Na + and Cl- increased significantly as increasing of salt, the content ofK+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and SO 42- decreased simultaneously to keep ion balance. The C/N ratio decreased significantly as increasing of nitrogen treatment. The content of proline increased significantly with the increasing of salt and nitrogen treatments. The results together indicated that at different saltenvironment, different amount of nitrogen supply can be used to improve the population growth of S.salsa plants, and the restoration of degraded wetland could be accelerated by nutrient supply reasonably.&nbsp

A novel film–pore–surface diffusion model to explain the enhanced enzyme adsorption of corn stover pretreated by ultrafine grinding

BACKGROUND: Ultrafine grinding is an environmentally friendly pretreatment that can alter the degree of polymerization, the porosity and the specific surface area of lignocellulosic biomass and can, thus, enhance cellulose hydrolysis. Enzyme adsorption onto the substrate is a prerequisite for the enzymatic hydrolysis process. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the enzyme adsorption properties of corn stover pretreated by ultrafine grinding. RESULTS: The ultrafine grinding pretreatment was executed on corn stover. The results showed that ultrafine grinding pretreatment can significantly decrease particle size [from 218.50 μm of sieve-based grinding corn stover (SGCS) to 17.45 μm of ultrafine grinding corn stover (UGCS)] and increase the specific surface area (SSA), pore volume (PV) and surface composition (SSA: from 1.71 m(2)/g of SGCS to 2.63 m(2)/g of UGCS, PV: from 0.009 cm(3)/g of SGCS to 0.024 m(3)/g of UGCS, cellulose surface area: from 168.69 m(2)/g of SGCS to 290.76 m(2)/g of UGCS, lignin surface area: from 91.46 m(2)/g of SGCS to 106.70 m(2)/g of UGCS). The structure and surface composition changes induced by ultrafine grinding increase the enzyme adsorption capacity from 2.83 mg/g substrate of SGCS to 5.61 mg/g substrate of UGCS. A film–pore–surface diffusion model was developed to simultaneously predict the enzyme adsorption kinetics of both the SGCS and UGCS. Satisfactory predictions could be made with the model based on high R(2) and low RMSE values (R(2) = 0.95 and RMSE = 0.16 mg/g for the UGCS, R(2) = 0.93 and RMSE = 0.09 mg/g for the SGCS). The model was further employed to analyze the rate-limiting steps in the enzyme adsorption process. Although both the external-film and internal-pore mass transfer are important for enzyme adsorption on the SGCS and UGCS, the UGCS has a lower internal-pore resistance compared to the SGCS. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrafine grinding pretreatment can enhance the enzyme adsorption onto corn stover by altering structure and surface composition. The film–pore–surface diffusion model successfully captures features on enzyme adsorption on ultrafine grinding pretreated corn stover. These findings identify wherein the probable rate-limiting factors for the enzyme adsorption reside and could, therefore, provide a basis for enhanced cellulose hydrolysis processes

Vibration Response Characteristics of the Cross Tunnel Structure

It is well known that the tunnel structure will lose its function under the long-term repeated function of the vibration effect. A prime example is the Xi’an cross tunnel structure (CTS) of Metro Line 2 and the Yongningmen tunnel, where the vibration response of the tunnel vehicle load and metro train load to the structure of shield tunnel was analyzed by applying the three-dimensional (3D) dynamic finite element model. The effect of the train running was simulated by applying the time-history curves of vibration force of the track induced by wheel axles, using the fitted formulas for vehicle and train vibration load. The characteristics and the spreading rules of vibration response of metro tunnel structure were researched from the perspectives of acceleration, velocity, displacement, and stress. It was found that vehicle load only affects the metro tunnel within 14 m from the centre, and the influence decreases gradually from vault to spandrel, haunch, and springing. The high-speed driving effect of the train can be divided into the close period, the rising period, the stable period, the declining period, and the leaving period. The stress at haunch should be carefully considered. The research results presented for this case study provide theoretical support for the safety of vibration response of Metro Line 2 structure

Role of Endogenous Sulfur Dioxide in Regulating Vascular Structural Remodeling in Hypertension

Sulfur dioxide (SO2), an emerging gasotransmitter, was discovered to be endogenously generated in the cardiovascular system. Recently, the physiological effects of endogenous SO2 were confirmed. Vascular structural remodeling (VSR), an important pathological change in many cardiovascular diseases, plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of the diseases. Here, the authors reviewed the research progress of endogenous SO2 in regulating VSR by searching the relevant data from PubMed and Medline. In spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and pulmonary hypertensive rats, SO2/aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) pathway was significantly altered. SO2 inhibited vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, promoted apoptosis, inhibited the synthesis of extracellular collagen but promoted its degradation, and enhanced antioxidative capacity, thereby playing a significant role in attenuating VSR. However, the detailed mechanisms needed to be further explored. Further studies in this field would be important for the better understanding of the pathogenesis of systemic hypertension and pulmonary hypertension. Also, clinical trials are needed to demonstrate if SO2 would be a potential therapeutic target in cardiovascular diseases

Midregional Pro-Adrenomedullin as a Predictor for Therapeutic Response to Midodrine Hydrochloride in Children With Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

ObjectivesThis study was designed to explore the predictive value of the midregional fragment of pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) in assessing the therapeutic efficacy of midodrine hydrochloride for children with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).BackgroundMidodrine hydrochloride is an important therapeutic option for children with POTS. However, there has not been any method to predict response to the drug. The MR-proADM is produced in equimolar amounts to adrenomedullin (ADM), and directly reflects levels of the rapidly degraded active peptide, ADM.MethodsFifty-seven children with POTS were designated as the POTS group. Twenty healthy children served as the control group. The children in the POTS group received midodrine hydrochloride treatment. The plasma concentration of MR-proADM was measured, using a sandwich immunoluminometric assay. A receiver-operating characteristic curve was used to explore the predictive value of MR-proADM.ResultsPlasma levels of MR-proADM were significantly higher in children with POTS (75.0 [62.5 to 96.0] pg/ml) than in the control group (58.5 [50.3 to 69.0] pg/ml). Plasma levels of MR-proADM in responders to midodrine hydrochloride was significantly higher than that of nonresponders (76.0 [66.0 to 91.0] pg/ml vs. 59.0 [54.0 to 65.5] pg/ml, p < 0.01]. A receiver-operating characteristic curve on the predictive value of MR-proADM showed that the area under the curve was 0.879 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.761 to 0.997. Using a cutoff value for MR-proADM of 61.5 pg/ml produced both high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (71.6%) in predicting the efficacy of midodrine hydrochloride therapy for treating POTS.ConclusionsMR-proADM can help guide midodrine hydrochloride therapy in the management of POTS in children