Concrete with nanomaterials and fibers for self-monitoring of strain and cracking subjected to flexure

The nano-carbon black (NCB) and conductive fibers were added as multiple conductive materials to produce the electric conductive and ductile concrete. The effect of the NCB, CF and SF on the workability of fresh concrete was analyzed, the relationships between the FCR and the strain of initial geometrical neutral axis (IGNA) were established, and the self-sensing ability to the load-deflection process and cracking behavior of triphasic conductive concrete beam subjected to bending were investigated. The relationship between the fractional change in surface resistance (FCR) and the crack opening displacement (COD) of conductive concrete beams has been established. The results showed that the relationship between the FCR and the IGNA strain can be described by the First Order Exponential Decay function, and the slope of this function can reflect the sensitivity of the conductive concrete. A linearly correlation between FCR and COD was observed.(undefined)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

In vitro assay to estimate tea astringency via observing flotation of artificial oil bodies sheltered by caleosin fused with histatin 3

AbstractAstringency, a sensory characteristic of food and beverages rich in polyphenols, mainly results from the formation of complexes between polyphenols and salivary proteins, causing a reduction of the lubricating properties of saliva. To develop an in vitro assay to estimate the astringency of oolong tea infusion, artificial oil bodies were constituted with sesame oil sheltered by a modified caleosin fused with histatin 3, one of the human salivary small peptides. Aggregation of artificial oil bodies was induced when they were mixed with oolong tea infusion or its major polyphenolic compound, (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) of 100μM as observed in light microscopy. The aggregated artificial oil bodies gradually floated on top of the solution and formed a visible milky layer whose thickness was in proportion to the concentrations of tea infusion. This assay system was applied to test four different oolong tea infusions with sensory astringency corresponding to their EGCG contents. The result showed that relative astringency of the four tea infusions was correlated to the thickness of floated artificial oil bodies, and could be estimated according to the standard curve generated by simultaneously observing a serial dilution of the tea infusion with the highest astringency

A 9 bp cis-element in the promoters of class I small heat shock protein genes on chromosome 3 in rice mediates L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid and heat shock responses

In rice, the class I small heat shock protein (sHSP-CI) genes were found to be selectively induced by L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (AZC) on chromosome 3 but not chromosome 1. Here it is shown that a novel cis-responsive element contributed to the differential regulation. By serial deletion and computational analysis, a 9 bp putative AZC-responsive element (AZRE), GTCCTGGAC, located between nucleotides –186 and –178 relative to the transcription initiation site of Oshsp17.3 was revealed. Deletion of this putative AZRE from the promoter abolished its ability to be induced by AZC. Moreover, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) revealed that the AZRE interacted specifically with nuclear proteins from AZC-treated rice seedlings. Two AZRE–protein complexes were detected by EMSA, one of which could be competed out by a canonical heat shock element (HSE). Deletion of the AZRE also affected the HS response. Furthermore, transient co-expression of the heat shock factor OsHsfA4b with the AZRE in the promoter of Oshsp17.3 was effective. The requirement for the putative AZRE for AZC and HS responses in transgenic Arabidopsis was also shown. Thus, AZRE represents an alternative form of heat HSE, and its interaction with canonical HSEs through heat shock factors may be required to respond to HS and AZC

PPARγ Agonist Beyond Glucose Lowering Effect

The nuclear hormone receptor PPARγ is activated by several agonists, including members of the thiazolidinedione group of insulin sensitizers. Pleiotropic beneficial effects of these agonists, independent of their blood glucose-lowering effects, have recently been demonstrated in the vasculature. PPARγ agonists have been shown to lower blood pressure in animals and humans, perhaps by suppressing the renin-angiotensin (Ang)-aldosterone system (RAAS), including the inhibition of Ang II type 1 receptor expression, Ang-II-mediated signaling pathways, and Ang-II-induced adrenal aldosterone synthesis/secretion. PPARγ agonists also inhibit the progression of atherosclerosis in animals and humans, possibly through a pathway involving the suppression of RAAS and the thromboxane A2 system, as well as the protection of endothelial function. Moreover, PPARγ-agonist-mediated renal protection, especially the reduction of albuminuria, has been observed in diabetic nephropathy, including animal models of the disease, and in non-diabetic renal dysfunction. The renal protective activities may reflect, at least in part, the ability of PPARγ agonists to lower blood pressure, protect endothelial function, and cause vasodilation of the glomerular efferent arterioles. Additionally, anti-neoplastic effects of PPARγ agonists have recently been described. Based on the multiple therapeutic actions of PPARγ agonists, they will no doubt lead to novel approaches in the treatment of lifestyle-related and other diseases

Analysis of noise in differential and ratiometric biosensing systems

This paper presents formulations to evaluate noise in differential and ratiometric measurements that are often performed in biosensing. These measurements are performed to improve signal to noise ratio of the sensing systems for sensitive detection of dynamic biological processes. The use of these formulations is discussed in the context of the differential intensity surface plasmon resonance (SPR) system that is widely used to characterise molecular interactions on a confined axial scale. Previous studies provide qualitative descriptions of the noise performance of such systems but lack rigorous characterisation. Here we present analytical expressions for quantitative evaluation of the noise in differential and ratiometric measurements by applying the rules of arithmetic operations on random variables. Such formulations provide the means for evaluating the signal to noise ratio of such systems. We present how correlated noise can be removed by performing differential or ratiometric processing. Applying these formulations, we also show how the sensitivity of the differential intensity SPR system changes during the experiment

De Novo Transcriptome of Safflower and the Identification of Putative Genes for Oleosin and the Biosynthesis of Flavonoids

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is one of the most extensively used oil crops in the world. However, little is known about how its compounds are synthesized at the genetic level. In this study, Solexa-based deep sequencing on seed, leaf and petal of safflower produced a de novo transcriptome consisting of 153,769 unigenes. We annotated 82,916 of the unigenes with gene annotation and assigned functional terms and specific pathways to a subset of them. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed that 23 unigenes were predicted to be responsible for the biosynthesis of flavonoids and 8 were characterized as seed-specific oleosins. In addition, a large number of differentially expressed unigenes, for example, those annotated as participating in anthocyanin and chalcone synthesis, were predicted to be involved in flavonoid biosynthesis pathways. In conclusion, the de novo transcriptome investigation of the unique transcripts provided candidate gene resources for studying oleosin-coding genes and for investigating genes related to flavonoid biosynthesis and metabolism in safflower

Validation of the Chinese version of the "Mood Disorder Questionnaire" for screening bipolar disorder among patients with a current depressive episode

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) is a well-recognized screening tool for bipolar disorder, but its Chinese version needs further validation. This study aims to measure the accuracy of the Chinese version of the MDQ as a screening instrument for bipolar disorder (BPD) in a group of patients with a current major depressive episode.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>142 consecutive patients with an initial DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of a major depressive episode were screened for BPD using the Chinese translation of the MDQ and followed up for one year. The final diagnosis, determined by a special committee consisting of three trained senior psychiatrists, was used as a 'gold standard' and ROC was plotted to evaluate the performance of the MDQ. The optimal cut-off was chosen by maximizing the Younden's index.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 142 patients, 122 (85.9%) finished the one year follow-up. On the basis of a semi-structured clinical interview 48.4% (59/122) received a diagnosis of unipolar depression (UPD), 36.9% (45/122) BPDII and 14.8% (18/122) BPDI. At the end of the one year follow-up,9 moved from UPD to BPD, 2 from BPDII to UPD, 1 from BPDII to BPDI, the overall rate of initial misdiagnosis was 16.4%. MDQ showed a good accuracy for BPD: the optimal cut-off was 4, with a sensitivity of 0.72 and a specificity of 0.73. When BPDII and BPDI were calculated independently, the optimal cut-off for BPDII was 4, with a sensitivity of 0.70 and a specificity of 0.73; while the optimal cut-off for BPDI was 5, with a sensitivity of 0.67 and a specificity of 0.86.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results show that the Chinese version of MDQ is a valid tool for screening BPD in a group of patients with current depressive episode on the Chinese mainland.</p

Rapid Eocene erosion, sedimentation and burial in the eastern Himalayan syntaxis and its geodynamic significance

The lower Bomi Group of the eastern Himalayan syntaxis comprises a lithological package of sedimentary and igneous rocks that have been metamorphosed to upper amphibolite-facies conditions. The lower Bomi Group is bounded to the south by the Indus–Yarlung Suture and to the north by unmetamorphosed Paleozoic sediments of the Lhasa terrane. We report U–Pb zircon dating, geochemistry and petrography of gneiss, migmatite, mica schist and marble from the lower Bomi Group and explore their geological implications for the tectonic evolution of the eastern Himalaya. Zircons from the lower Bomi Group are composite. The inherited magmatic zircon cores display 206Pb/238U ages from ~ 74 Ma to ~ 41.5 Ma, indicating a probable source from the Gangdese magmatic arc. The metamorphic overgrowth zircons yielded 206Pb/238U ages ranging from ~ 38 Ma to ~ 23 Ma, that overlap the anatexis time (~ 37 Ma) recorded in the leucosome of the migmatites. Our data indicate that the lower Bomi Group do not represent Precambrian basement of the Lhasa terrane. Instead, the lower Bomi Group may represent sedimentary and igneous rocks of the residual forearc basin, similar to the Tsojiangding Group in the Xigaze area, derived from denudation of the hanging wall rocks during the India–Asia continental collision. We propose that following the Indian–Asian collision, the forearc basin was subducted, together with Himalayan lithologies from the Indian continental slab. The minimum age of detrital magmatic zircons from the supracrustal rocks is ~ 41.5 Ma and their metamorphism had happened at ~ 37 Ma. The short time interval (< 5 Ma) suggests that the tectonic processes associated with the eastern Himalayan syntaxis, encompassing uplift and erosion of the Gangdese terrane, followed by deposition, imbrication and subduction of the forearc basin, were extremely rapid during the Late Eocene