Growth disturbance of extracts from several crops straw (residue) on Ageratina adenophora and biological-control implications in hazardous weed invasion for eco-restoration

Laboratory biological simulation experiment was conducted to investigate growth disturbance of high, moderate, low concentration of aqueous extracts (i.e. the original extracts with a solid liquid ratio of 1:40 g mL-1 and its 5 times diluents and 25 times diluents) from several crops straw (residue) on Ageratina adenophora, a worldwide notorious invasive weed. The results showed: (a) aqueous extracts from several crops straw (residue) brought about different impacts on the single index for germination and growth of A. adenophora, e.g., high concentration of aqueous extracts from Brassica oleracea waste leaves showed a strong inhibition against the germination rate (GR) and germination index (GI) of A. adenophora, while high concentration of aqueous extracts from Vicia cracca straw showed a strong inhibition against radicle length (RL) and hypocotyl length (HL) of A. adenophora; (b) high concentration of aqueous extracts from B. oleracea waste leaves and high, moderate and low concentration of aqueous extracts from Oryza sativa straw and Triticum aestivum straw showed rather strong synthetic effects (inhibition) on GR and GI of A. adenophora, which could be chosen for the control over the seeds germination of A. adenophora; (c) high and moderate concentrations of aqueous extracts from V. cracca straw, high concentration of aqueous extracts from B. campestris waste leaves, and moderate and low concentrations of aqueous extracts from O. sativa straw and T. aestivum straw showed rather strong synthetic effects (inhibition) on RL and HL of A. adenophora, which could be selected as ideal materials for the control over the seedlings growth of A. adenophora; and (d) high concentrations of aqueous extracts from V. cracca straw, B. oleracea waste leaves and B. campestris waste leaves, and high, moderate and low concentrations of aqueous extracts from O. sativa straw and T. aestivum straw showed rather strong synthetic effects (inhibition) on GR, GI, RL and HL of A. adenophora, which could be selected as ideal materials for the control over the seeds germination and seedlings growth of A. adenophora. Thus, this study would provide a theoretic guidance and technical support for the resources utilization of crops straw (residue) and the prevention and control over invasive weeds as well. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Laboratory biological simulation experiment was conducted to investigate growth disturbance of high, moderate, low concentration of aqueous extracts (i.e. the original extracts with a solid liquid ratio of 1:40 g mL-1 and its 5 times diluents and 25 times diluents) from several crops straw (residue) on Ageratina adenophora, a worldwide notorious invasive weed. The results showed: (a) aqueous extracts from several crops straw (residue) brought about different impacts on the single index for germination and growth of A. adenophora, e.g., high concentration of aqueous extracts from Brassica oleracea waste leaves showed a strong inhibition against the germination rate (GR) and germination index (GI) of A. adenophora, while high concentration of aqueous extracts from Vicia cracca straw showed a strong inhibition against radicle length (RL) and hypocotyl length (HL) of A. adenophora; (b) high concentration of aqueous extracts from B. oleracea waste leaves and high, moderate and low concentration of aqueous extracts from Oryza sativa straw and Triticum aestivum straw showed rather strong synthetic effects (inhibition) on GR and GI of A. adenophora, which could be chosen for the control over the seeds germination of A. adenophora; (c) high and moderate concentrations of aqueous extracts from V. cracca straw, high concentration of aqueous extracts from B. campestris waste leaves, and moderate and low concentrations of aqueous extracts from O. sativa straw and T. aestivum straw showed rather strong synthetic effects (inhibition) on RL and HL of A. adenophora, which could be selected as ideal materials for the control over the seedlings growth of A. adenophora; and (d) high concentrations of aqueous extracts from V. cracca straw, B. oleracea waste leaves and B. campestris waste leaves, and high, moderate and low concentrations of aqueous extracts from O. sativa straw and T. aestivum straw showed rather strong synthetic effects (inhibition) on GR, GI, RL and HL of A. adenophora, which could be selected as ideal materials for the control over the seeds germination and seedlings growth of A. adenophora. Thus, this study would provide a theoretic guidance and technical support for the resources utilization of crops straw (residue) and the prevention and control over invasive weeds as well. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Pan-cancer analysis of whole genomes

Cancer is driven by genetic change, and the advent of massively parallel sequencing has enabled systematic documentation of this variation at the whole-genome scale(1-3). Here we report the integrative analysis of 2,658 whole-cancer genomes and their matching normal tissues across 38 tumour types from the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We describe the generation of the PCAWG resource, facilitated by international data sharing using compute clouds. On average, cancer genomes contained 4-5 driver mutations when combining coding and non-coding genomic elements; however, in around 5% of cases no drivers were identified, suggesting that cancer driver discovery is not yet complete. Chromothripsis, in which many clustered structural variants arise in a single catastrophic event, is frequently an early event in tumour evolution; in acral melanoma, for example, these events precede most somatic point mutations and affect several cancer-associated genes simultaneously. Cancers with abnormal telomere maintenance often originate from tissues with low replicative activity and show several mechanisms of preventing telomere attrition to critical levels. Common and rare germline variants affect patterns of somatic mutation, including point mutations, structural variants and somatic retrotransposition. A collection of papers from the PCAWG Consortium describes non-coding mutations that drive cancer beyond those in the TERT promoter(4); identifies new signatures of mutational processes that cause base substitutions, small insertions and deletions and structural variation(5,6); analyses timings and patterns of tumour evolution(7); describes the diverse transcriptional consequences of somatic mutation on splicing, expression levels, fusion genes and promoter activity(8,9); and evaluates a range of more-specialized features of cancer genomes(8,10-18).Peer reviewe

台灣北部地區大專院校餐廳管理現況及其影響因素之調查研究

[[abstract]]本研究之主要目的在探討臺灣北部地區大專院校學生餐廳管理之現況，進而探求影響 學生餐廳管理之有關因素，研究中利用問卷調查，深入訪談，及環境觀察等方法，分 別對各校負責餐廳督導業務的學校決策人員，用餐學生，餐廳業務執行人員及學生餐 廳等進行資料之蒐集，其結果如下： 一、行政方面 各校對於餐廳督導之業務一般為個單位共同管理，各單位之間有權責劃分不清之慫象 ，缺乏專業人員專責管理；大部份的學校，未編列經費用於改善餐廳，其督導人員之 專業知識普遍不足，多為兼職，對此督導工作投入的時間不多，工作意原低落，未發 揮管理的功能。 二、環境方面： 目前各校餐廳在容量上仍嫌不足，有些學校在設計之初即未考慮到衛生的因素，致造 成衛生情況不佳。 三、服務方面： 多數學校對餐廳在提供學生膳食營養方面，缺少長期的規書，對食品原料之品質管制 不良，學生、學校決策人員及餐廳業務執行人員對價格的認同差距不大。 四、教育方面： 在學生方面，學生本身缺乏足夠的營養、衛生知識，學校中又缺乏專業課程，大部份 的學生其飲食行為不佳，但其在選擇菜式時，以衛生為首要考慮因素者最多，有83.9 % 的學生到餐廳中用餐之最主要誘因是方便。在廚工訓練方面，雖有施行但並未達到 提升工作人員衛生習慣之預期效果。

元雜劇中的道教劇研究

[[abstract]]元雜劇現存一百六十餘種中，有十幾種深受道教思想影響的作品，這些作品在早期的 分類，如「太和正音譜」雜劇十二科中，被稱為神仙道化劇，而在近人的研究論著， 又稱它為道教劇、度脫劇，所認定的作品又有出入，本論第一章是先剖析此種出入的 原委，再說明此類劇種之分類標準。 在第二章，分別由全真教以孕育元雜劇的宋金講唱文學和民間傳說等各方面探討道教 劇成立的背景及其必然性，元朝時道教教團的革新派全真教興隆。其五祖中，呂洞賓 及鍾離權雖然早在宋代已散見於各種記載，但全真教勢力的擴大，更使呂等二人之外 廣為人知，後來被元曲作家採用為雜劇主角之後，與韓湘子、藍采和、曹國舅等神仙 結合，形成了至今膾炙人口的八仙，本章除了探討全真教及宋金講唱文學對道教劇的 影響外，也論文道教劇在八仙傳說的形戶過程中所扮演的角色。 最後在第三章，總觀歷來對道教劇的評價，同時從戲劇搬演成敗的原則試論道教劇未 能受到佳評的原因。

Maritime broadband communication: Wireless channel measurement and characteristic analysis for offshore waters

For a long time, the development of maritime communication has been restricted by the low data rate, high-latency and high cost of the current communication systems. The upgrade of new generation mobile communication technologies is attracting more and more attention to conduct a shore-based broadband mobile communication network with high-latency and high reliability to serve the maritime industries. This paper presents a solution by means of building a ship-to-infrastructure (S2I) and a ship-to-ship (S2S) wireless communication networks for an offshore region. We characterize the S2I and S2S channels at 5.9 GHz band based on the channel measurements in realistic environments. The channel characteristics, including power delay profile, delay spread, propagation path loss, are extracted and analyzed. In view of the difference between marine and terrestrial communications, we analyze the influencing factors of the offshore water, including effective reflection, divergence and shadowing from the water surface, and diffraction loss caused by the earth curvature. We also predict the power coverage range and the channel capacity for S2I and S2S wireless communications. Finally, the communication performance is evaluated according to the channel measurement and characterization analysis. The research results can be a reference for the construction of maritime communication networks.Safety and Security Scienc

Numerical thermal analysis and optimization of multi-chip LED module using response surface methodology and genetic algorithm

In this paper, the heat transfer performance of the multi-chip (MC) LED module is investigated numerically by using a general analytical solution. The configuration of the module is optimized with genetic algorithm (GA) combined with a response surface methodology. The space between chips, the thickness of the metal core printed circuit board (MCPCB), and the thickness of the base plate are considered as three optimal parameters, while the total thermal resistance (Rtot) is considered as a single objective function. After optimizing objectives with GA, the optimal design parameters of three types of MC LED modules are determined. The results show that the thickness of MCPCB has a stronger influence on the total thermal resistance than other parameters. In addition, the sensitivity analysis is performed based on the optimum data. It reveals thatRtot increases with the increased thickness of MCPCB, and reduces as the space between chips increases. The effect of the thickness of base plate is far less than that of the thickness of MCPCB. After optimization, three types of MC LED modules obtain lower Tj andRtot. Moreover, the optimized modules can emit large luminous energy under high-power input conditions. Therefore, the optimization results are of great significance in the selection of configuration parameters to improve the performance of the MC LED module.Electronic Components, Technology and Material

Interactions between a magnon mode and a cavity photon mode mediated by traveling photons

We systematically study the indirect interaction between a magnon mode and a cavity photon mode mediated by traveling photons of a waveguide. From a general Hamiltonian, we derive the effective coupling strength between two separated modes, and obtain the theoretical expression of the system's transmission. Accordingly, we design an experimental setup consisting of a shield cavity photon mode, a microstrip line, and a magnon system to test our theoretical predictions. From measured transmission spectra, indirect interaction, as well as mode hybridization, between two modes can be observed. All experimental observations support our theoretical predictions. In this work we clarify the mechanism of traveling photon mediated interactions between two separate modes. Even without spatial mode overlap, two separated modes can still couple with each other through their correlated dissipations into a mutual traveling photon bus. This conclusion may help us understand the recently discovered dissipative coupling effect in cavity magnonics systems. Additionally, the physics and technique developed in this work may benefit us in designing new hybrid systems based on the waveguide magnonics.QN/Bauer Grou

Joint energy consumption optimization method for wing-diesel engine-powered hybrid ships towards a more energy-efficient shipping

Wing-diesel engine-powered hybrid ships can effectively reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by using wind energy as the auxiliary driving power. The energy optimization management of the hybrid system can further improve the ship's energy efficiency. To achieve this purpose, it is significant to establish an effective energy consumption model for the energy optimization management of the hybrid system. Therefore, an energy consumption model is established based on the energy conversion analysis of the hybrid power system in this paper. This model can effectively describe the energy consumption of the hybrid ship under different navigational environmental conditions. Then, a joint optimization method of the wing attack angle and of the sailing speed for the hybrid ship is proposed by adopting a swarm intelligence optimization algorithm, in order to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions of the hybrid ship under different navigational environmental conditions. Finally, the energy consumption optimization potentials by adopting the hybrid power system and the proposed joint optimization method are analyzed. The results show that the energy consumption and CO2 emissions along a typical route can be reduced by about 4.5%. This study provides an important basis for future practical operations of wing-diesel engine-powered hybrid ships.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Transport Engineering and Logistic

Influence of environmental factors on zooplankton assemblages in Bosten Lake, a large oligosaline lake in arid northwestern China

Water salinization in semi-arid and arid regions is threatening freshwater or oligosaline ecosystems. Anthropogenic processes enrich nutrients of aquatic systems causing significant environmental effects. Bosten Lake in Xinjiang Province, China is an interesting ecosystem featuring a salinity gradient from fresh to subsaline, as well as a nutrition gradient from oligotrophic to mesotrophic. In the present study, we focused on the effects of salinity and nutrients in Bosten Lake by investigating the zooplankton assemblages and environmental factors from different sampling times. A total of 74 zooplankton taxa were found, consisting of 34 rotifers, 26 protists, 10 cladocerans, and 4 copepods. Although no significant differences were found among different sampling sites, zooplankton species richness, diversity, and evenness showed significant differences between sampling times, with August samples showing highest values along with water temperature and total nitrogen. Principal component analysis and representational difference analysis results showed that zooplankton abundance is correlated with water temperature and nitrogen, but showed no significant relationship with water mineralization or conductivity. The subsaline-tolerating zooplankton species in Bosten Lake made their community insensitive to salinity. The decrease of total nitrogen concentration in Bosten Lake probably implied a primary productivity increase, which subsequently caused the zooplankton diversity to increase in August.Water salinization in semi-arid and arid regions is threatening freshwater or oligosaline ecosystems. Anthropogenic processes enrich nutrients of aquatic systems causing significant environmental effects. Bosten Lake in Xinjiang Province, China is an interesting ecosystem featuring a salinity gradient from fresh to subsaline, as well as a nutrition gradient from oligotrophic to mesotrophic. In the present study, we focused on the effects of salinity and nutrients in Bosten Lake by investigating the zooplankton assemblages and environmental factors from different sampling times. A total of 74 zooplankton taxa were found, consisting of 34 rotifers, 26 protists, 10 cladocerans, and 4 copepods. Although no significant differences were found among different sampling sites, zooplankton species richness, diversity, and evenness showed significant differences between sampling times, with August samples showing highest values along with water temperature and total nitrogen. Principal component analysis and representational difference analysis results showed that zooplankton abundance is correlated with water temperature and nitrogen, but showed no significant relationship with water mineralization or conductivity. The subsaline-tolerating zooplankton species in Bosten Lake made their community insensitive to salinity. The decrease of total nitrogen concentration in Bosten Lake probably implied a primary productivity increase, which subsequently caused the zooplankton diversity to increase in August

Molecular cloning and functional characterization of peptidoglycan recognition protein 6 in grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are pattern recognition molecules of innate immunity. In this study, a long-form PGRP, designated as gcPGRP6, was identified from grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella. The deduced amino acid sequence of gcPGRP6 is composed of 464 residues with a conserved PGRP domain at the C-terminus. The gcPGRP6 gene consists of four exons and three introns, spacing approximately 2.7 kb of genomic sequence. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that gcPGRP6 is clustered closely with zebrafish PGLYRP6, and formed a long-type PGRP subfamily together with PGLYRP2 members identified in teleosts and mammals. Real-time PCR and Western blotting analyses revealed that gcPGRP6 is constitutively expressed in organs/tissues examined, and its expression was significantly induced in liver and intestine of grass carp in response to PGN stimulation and in CIK cells treated with lipoteichoic acid (LTA), polyinosinic polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) and peptidoglycan (PGN). Immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blotting analyses revealed that gcPGRP6 is effectively secreted to the exterior of CIK cells. The over-expression of gcPGRP6 in CIK cells leads to the activation of NF-kappa B and the inhibition of intracellular bacterial growth. Moreover, cell lysates from CIK cells transfected with pTurbo-gcPGRP6-GFP plasmid display the binding activity towards Lys-type PGN from Staphylococcus aureus and DAP-type PGN from Bacillus subtilis. Furthermore, proinflammatory cytokine IL-2 and intracellular PGN receptor NOD2 had a significantly increased expression in CIK cells overexpressed with gcPGRP6. It is demonstrated that the PGRP6 in grass carp has a role in binding PGN, in inhibiting the growth of intracellular bacteria, and in activating NF-kappa B, as well as in regulating innate immune genes. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are pattern recognition molecules of innate immunity. In this study, a long-form PGRP, designated as gcPGRP6, was identified from grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella. The deduced amino acid sequence of gcPGRP6 is composed of 464 residues with a conserved PGRP domain at the C-terminus. The gcPGRP6 gene consists of four exons and three introns, spacing approximately 2.7 kb of genomic sequence. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that gcPGRP6 is clustered closely with zebrafish PGLYRP6, and formed a long-type PGRP subfamily together with PGLYRP2 members identified in teleosts and mammals. Real-time PCR and Western blotting analyses revealed that gcPGRP6 is constitutively expressed in organs/tissues examined, and its expression was significantly induced in liver and intestine of grass carp in response to PGN stimulation and in CIK cells treated with lipoteichoic acid (LTA), polyinosinic polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) and peptidoglycan (PGN). Immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blotting analyses revealed that gcPGRP6 is effectively secreted to the exterior of CIK cells. The over-expression of gcPGRP6 in CIK cells leads to the activation of NF-kappa B and the inhibition of intracellular bacterial growth. Moreover, cell lysates from CIK cells transfected with pTurbo-gcPGRP6-GFP plasmid display the binding activity towards Lys-type PGN from Staphylococcus aureus and DAP-type PGN from Bacillus subtilis. Furthermore, proinflammatory cytokine IL-2 and intracellular PGN receptor NOD2 had a significantly increased expression in CIK cells overexpressed with gcPGRP6. It is demonstrated that the PGRP6 in grass carp has a role in binding PGN, in inhibiting the growth of intracellular bacteria, and in activating NF-kappa B, as well as in regulating innate immune genes. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved