On the Applicability of Temperature and Precipitation Data from CMIP3 for China

Global Circulation Models (GCMs) contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) and are widely used in global change research. This paper assesses the performance of the AR4 GCMs in simulating precipitation and temperature in China from 1960 to 1999 by comparison with observed data, using system bias (B), root-mean-square error (RMSE), Pearson correlation coefficient (R) and Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency (E) metrics. Probability density functions (PDFs) are also fitted to the outputs of each model. It is shown that the performance of each GCM varies to different degrees across China. Based on the skill score derived from the four metrics, it is suggested that GCM 15 (ipsl_cm4) and GCM 3 (cccma_cgcm_t63) provide the best representations of temperature and precipitation, respectively, in terms of spatial distribution and trend over 10 years. The results also indicate that users should apply carefully the results of annual precipitation and annual temperature generated by AR4 GCMs in China due to poor performance. At a finer scale, the four metrics are also used to obtain best fit scores for ten river basins covering mainland China. Further research is proposed to improve the simulation accuracy of the AR4 GCMs regarding China

Disorder enabled band structure engineering of a topological insulator surface

Three dimensional topological insulators are bulk insulators with $\mathbf{Z}_2$ topological electronic order that gives rise to conducting light-like surface states. These surface electrons are exceptionally resistant to localization by non-magnetic disorder, and have been adopted as the basis for a wide range of proposals to achieve new quasiparticle species and device functionality. Recent studies have yielded a surprise by showing that in spite of resisting localization, topological insulator surface electrons can be reshaped by defects into distinctive resonance states. Here we use numerical simulations and scanning tunneling microscopy data to show that these resonance states have significance well beyond the localized regime usually associated with impurity bands. At native densities in the model Bi$_2$X$_3$ (X=Bi, Te) compounds, defect resonance states are predicted to generate a new quantum basis for an emergent electron gas that supports diffusive electrical transport

Using Personality-Based Propensity As a Guide For Teaching Practice

The Big Five-Factor personality traits are examined in the present review. Individual characteristics and personality types may contribute differently to choices of learning strategies and overall cognitive performance. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to provide a brief overview of consistent research findings on personality constructs as predictors of school-related factors, including academic ability, reading and math skills, metacognitive assessments, self-regulatory learning and processing strategies, and students\u27 confidence; and (2) to highlight the applicable value of using personality-related propensities to guide teachers in the classroom. Inter-relationships among personality, cognition, metacognition, self-regulation, and learning outcomes are addressed. More importantly, in the end of the paper, practical teaching and learning applications are discussed and summarized in a table. The table is organized to highlight each personality trait, its significance based on research evidence, and its educational implications for specific teaching methods and strategies teachers can use to draw strengths from each personality trait and to maximize learning in the classroom

Quantum Manifestations of Graphene Edge Stress and Edge Instability: A First-Principles Study

We have performed first-principles calculations of graphene edge stresses, which display two interesting quantum manifestations absent from the classical interpretation: the armchair edge stress oscillates with a nanoribbon width, and the zigzag edge stress is noticeably reduced by spin polarization. Such quantum stress effects in turn manifest in mechanical edge twisting and warping instability, showing features not captured by empirical potentials or continuum theory. Edge adsorption of H and Stone-Wales reconstruction are shown to provide alternative mechanisms in relieving the edge compression and hence to stabilize the planar edge structure.Comment: 5figure

Orbit- and Atom-Resolved Spin Textures of Intrinsic, Extrinsic and Hybridized Dirac Cone States

Combining first-principles calculations and spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements, we identify the helical spin textures for three different Dirac cone states in the interfaced systems of a 2D topological insulator (TI) of Bi(111) bilayer and a 3D TI Bi2Se3 or Bi2Te3. The spin texture is found to be the same for the intrinsic Dirac cone of Bi2Se3 or Bi2Te3 surface state, the extrinsic Dirac cone of Bi bilayer state induced by Rashba effect, and the hybridized Dirac cone between the former two states. Further orbit- and atom-resolved analysis shows that s and pz orbits have a clockwise (counterclockwise) spin rotation tangent to the iso-energy contour of upper (lower) Dirac cone, while px and py orbits have an additional radial spin component. The Dirac cone states may reside on different atomic layers, but have the same spin texture. Our results suggest that the unique spin texture of Dirac cone states is a signature property of spin-orbit coupling, independent of topology

Anti-CD20 as the B-Cell Targeting Agent in a Combined Therapy to Modulate Anti-Factor VIII Immune Responses in Hemophilia a Inhibitor Mice

Neutralizing antibody formation against transgene products can represent a major complication following gene therapy with treatment of genetic diseases, such as hemophilia A. Although successful approaches have been developed to prevent the formation of anti-factor VIII (FVIII) antibodies, innovative strategies to overcome pre-existing anti-FVIII immune responses in FVIII-primed subjects are still lacking. Anti-FVIII neutralizing antibodies circulate for long periods in part due to persistence of memory B-cells. Anti-CD20 targets a variety of B-cells (pre-B-cells to mature/memory cells); therefore, we investigated the impact of B-cell depletion on anti-FVIII immune responses in hemophilia A mice using anti-CD20 combined with regulatory T (T(reg)) cell expansion using IL-2/IL-2mAb complexes plus rapamycin. We found that anti-CD20 alone can partially modulate anti-FVIII immune responses in both unprimed and FVIII-primed hemophilia A mice. Moreover, in mice treated with anti-CD20+IL-2/IL-2mAb complexes+rapamycin+FVIII, anti-FVIII antibody titers were significantly reduced in comparison to mice treated with regimens targeting only B or T cells. In addition, titers remained low after a second challenge with FVIII plasmid. T(reg) cells and activation markers were transiently and significantly increased in the groups treated with IL-2/IL-2mAb complexes; however, significant B-cell depletion was obtained in anti-CD20-treated groups. Importantly, both FVIII-specific antibody-secreting cells and memory B-cells were significantly reduced in mice treated with combination therapy. This study demonstrates that a combination regimen is highly promising as a treatment option for modulating anti-FVIII antibodies and facilitating induction of long-term tolerance to FVIII in hemophilia A mice

Interactions of vegetable proteins with other polymers: Structure-function relationships and applications in the food industry

peer-reviewedBackground In recent years, there has been increasing interest in vegetable proteins, due to their various health beneficial functions and wide applications in the food industry. Vegetable proteins combined with other edible polymers can be used to improve the quality and nutritional value of food products. In these complex food systems, interactions between different components are inevitable, and these interactions have a significant influence on the structure and functions of food products. Scope and approach This study reviews the current status of knowledge of interactions between vegetable proteins and other polymers (proteins or polysaccharides) in food systems and the structure of complexes formed by these interactions. The study also provides a comprehensive review of the applications of the complexes. Key findings and conclusions Vegetable proteins display different types of interactions with other polymers (e.g., polysaccharides, or animal proteins) under different conditions, thus forming a variety of complexes with different structures (e.g., double networks, mosaic textures and cross-linked structures), which showed different impact on properties of the final food products and their applications (e.g., substitution for fat, or encapsulation for bioactive ingredients) in the food industry. However, previous studies mainly focused on leguminous proteins and vegetable-protein-based mixtures of two polymers, further studies on other vegetable proteins and more complex food systems containing vegetable proteins and other polymers are required

Preparation, structure-property relationships and applications of different emulsion gels: Bulk emulsion gels, emulsion gel particles, and fluid emulsion gels

peer-reviewedBackground In recent years, there has been increasing interest in emulsion gels, due to their better stability during storage and potential for prolonged intestinal drug release compared to emulsions. There are three kinds of emulsion gels, classified according to their morphological properties: bulk emulsion gels, emulsion gel particles and liquid emulsion gels. Scope and approach This paper provides a comprehensive review of the mechanisms and procedures of different methods for preparing different emulsion gels and relationships between structures and properties of emulsion gels. The applications of emulsion gels in the food industry are finally discussed. Key findings and conclusions Different emulsion gels result from different preparation methods, and have various structure-property relationships and applications. Many methods can be used to prepare bulk emulsion gels, involving different matrix materials, processing techniques, and purposes. This can result in different structures of gel matrices and emulsion droplets, and interactions between them, which can influence the structures of bulk emulsion gels and then their mechanical and release properties. On the other hand, extrusion and impinging aerosol methods are two methods for preparing emulsion gel particles, while liquid emulsion gels can be prepared by Pickering emulsions and disrupted gel systems. Rheological, syneresis and swelling properties are critical for gel particle suspensions, while flow behavior and release properties are important to liquid emulsion gels. In addition, fat replacements and delivery systems are main applications of emulsion gels in the food industry. However, current research has mainly focused on bulk emulsion gels, so further studies on emulsion gel particles and liquid emulsion gels are required.China Scholarship Counci