Effect of soil-pile-structure interaction on seismic behaviour of nuclear power station via shaking table tests

To better understand the characteristics of the seismic response of nuclear power stations with fixed-base and pile-raft foundations, a series of shaking table tests were performed. The shaking table tests included three cases: free-field soil, fixed-base structure without soil, and superstructure with a pile-raft foundation embedded in the soil. One white noise excitation and three earthquake motions with different earthquake intensity were selected as the ground motion to identify the seismic response of the structure, raft, piles, and soils. The effects of earthquake intensity, earthquake frequency, soil-pile-structure interaction, and soil nonlinearity on the system dynamic responses were analysed. The test results show that the natural frequency and the damping ratio of the superstructure for the pile-raft foundation and the fixed-base structure are different, owing to the soil-pile-structure interaction effect. The acceleration amplification ratio of the fixed-base superstructure shows a significantly higher value than that of the superstructure with a pile-raft foundation. The average peak acceleration ratio of the raft for the pile-raft foundation (raft/soil surface) is 1.2. Under the long period wave excitations, the bending moment of the pile is greater than that of short-period wave excitations, and the peak bending moment occurs at the pile head. The vertical and horizontal displacement and residual displacement increases with the earthquake intensity. These observations suggested that the design of nuclear power station with a pile-raft foundation embedded in clay cannot be simplified as a fixed-base structure. Moreover, adopting pile-raft foundation for nuclear power station will extend the choice of finding suitable construction sites for the nuclear power stations, and the test results could provide references for engineers

Nuclear Localization of DNAJB6 is Associated with Survival of Patients with Esophageal Cancer and Reduces AKT Signaling and Proliferation of Cancer Cells

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: The DnaJ (Hsp40) homolog, subfamily B, member 6 (DNAJB6) is part of a family of proteins that regulate chaperone activities. One of its isoforms, DNAJB6a, contains a nuclear localization signal and regulates β-catenin signaling during breast cancer development. We investigated the role of DNAJB6 in pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: We performed immunohistochemical analyses of primary ESCC samples and lymph node metastases from a cohort of 160 patients, who underwent esophagectomy with no pre-operative chemo-radiotherapy at Hong Kong Queen Mary Hospital. Data were collected on patient outcomes over a median time of 12.1±2.9 months. Retrospective survival association analyses were performed. Wild-type and mutant forms of DNAJB6a were overexpressed in cancer cell lines (KYSE510, KYSE 30TSI, KYSE140, and KYSE70TS), which were analyzed in proliferation and immunoblot assays, or injected subcutaneously into nude mice. Levels of DNAJB6 were knocked down in ESCC cell lines (KYSE450 and T.Tn), immortalized normal esophageal epithelial cell lines (NE3 and NE083), and other cells with short hairpin RNAs or by genome engineering. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation was used to study interactions between proteins in living cells. RESULTS: In primary ESCC samples, patients whose tumors had high nuclear levels of DNAJB6 had longer overall survival times (19.2±1.8 months; 95% confidence interval [CI], 15.6-22.8 months) than patients whose tumors had low nuclear levels of DNAJB6 (12.6±1.4 months; 95% CI, 9.8-15.4 months; P=.004, by log rank test). Based on Cox regression analysis, patients whose tumors had high nuclear levels of DNAJB6 had a lower risk of death than those with low levels (hazard ratio=0.562; 95% CI, 0.379-0.834; P=.004). Based on log rank analysis and Cox regression analysis, the combination of nuclear level of DNAJB6 and the presence of lymph node metastases at diagnosis could be used to stratify patients into groups with good or bad outcomes (P<.0005 for both analyses). There was a negative association between the nuclear level of DNAJB6 and the presence of lymph node metastases (P=.022; Pearson χ2 test). Cancer cell lines that overexpressed DNAJB6a formed tumors more slowly in nude mice than control cells or cells that expressed a mutant form of DNAJB6a that did not localize to the nucleus. DNAJB6 knockdown in cancer cell lines promoted their growth as xenograft tumors in mice. A motif of histidine, proline, and aspartic acid (HPD) in the J domain of DNAJB6a was required for its tumor suppressive effects and signaling via AKT1. Loss of DNAJB6a resulted in upregulation of AKT signaling in cancer cell lines and immortalized esophageal epithelial cells. Expression of a constitutively active form of AKT1 restored proliferation to tumor cells that overexpressed DNAJB6a, and DNAJB6a formed a complex with AKT1 in living cells. Expression of DNAJB6a reduced the sensitivity of ESCC to AKT inhibitors; the expression level of DNAJB6a affected AKT signaling in multiple cancer cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: Nuclear localization of DNAJB6 is associated with longer survival times of patients with ESCC. DNAJB6a reduces AKT signaling, and DNAJB6 expression in cancer cells reduces their proliferation and growth of xenograft tumors in mice. DNAJB6a might be developed as biomarker for progression of ESCC.postprin

Resonances in J/ψ→ϕπ+π−J/\psi \to \phi \pi ^+\pi ^- and ϕK+K−\phi K^+K^-

A partial wave analysis is presented of $J/\psi \to \phi \pi ^+\pi ^-$ and $\phi K^+K^-$ from a sample of 58M $J/\psi$ events in the BES II detector. The $f_0(980)$ is observed clearly in both sets of data, and parameters of the Flatt\' e formula are determined accurately: $M = 965 \pm 8$ (stat) $\pm 6$ (syst) MeV/c$^2$, $g_1 = 165 \pm 10 \pm 15$ MeV/c$^2$, $g_2/g_1 = 4.21 \pm 0.25 \pm 0.21$. The $\phi \pi \pi$ data also exhibit a strong $\pi \pi$ peak centred at $M = 1335$ MeV/c$^2$. It may be fitted with $f_2(1270)$ and a dominant $0^+$ signal made from $f_0(1370)$ interfering with a smaller $f_0(1500)$ component. There is evidence that the $f_0(1370)$ signal is resonant, from interference with $f_2(1270)$. There is also a state in $\pi \pi$ with $M = 1790 ^{+40}_{-30}$ MeV/c$^2$ and $\Gamma = 270 ^{+60}_{-30}$ MeV/c$^2$; spin 0 is preferred over spin 2. This state, $f_0(1790)$, is distinct from $f_0(1710)$. The $\phi K\bar K$ data contain a strong peak due to $f_2'(1525)$. A shoulder on its upper side may be fitted by interference between $f_0(1500)$ and $f_0(1710)$.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, 1 table. Submitted to Phys. Lett.

Measurement of the Branching Fraction of J/psi --> pi+ pi- pi0

Using 58 million J/psi and 14 million psi' decays obtained by the BESII experiment, the branching fraction of J/psi --> pi+ pi- pi0 is determined. The result is (2.10+/-0.12)X10^{-2}, which is significantly higher than previous measurements.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, RevTex

Search for K_S K_L in psi'' decays

K_S K_L from psi'' decays is searched for using the psi'' data collected by BESII at BEPC, the upper limit of the branching fraction is determined to be B(psi''--> K_S K_L) < 2.1\times 10^{-4} at 90% C. L. The measurement is compared with the prediction of the S- and D-wave mixing model of the charmonia, based on the measurements of the branching fractions of J/psi-->K_S K_L and psi'-->K_S K_L.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur

First Measurements of eta_c Decaying into K^+K^-2(pi^+pi^-) and 3(pi^+pi^-)

The decays of eta_c to K^+K^-2(pi^+pi^-) and 3(pi^+pi^-) are observed for the first time using a sample of 5.8X10^7 J/\psi events collected by the BESII detector. The product branching fractions are determined to be B(J/\psi-->gamma eta_c)*B(eta_c-->K^+K^-pi^+pi^-pi^+pi^-)=(1.21+-0.32+- 0.23)X10^{-4}$,B(J/\psi-->gamma eta_c)*B(eta_c-->K^{*0}\bar{K}^{*0}pi^+pi^-)= (1.29+-0.43+-0.32)X10^{-4}$, and (J/\psi-->gamma eta_c)* B(eta_c-->pi^+pi^-pi^+pi^-pi^+pi^-)= (2.59+-0.32+-0.48)X10^{-4}. The upper limit for eta_c-->phi pi^+pi^-pi^+pi^- is also obtained as B(J/\psi-->gamma eta_c)*B(eta_c--> phi pi^+pi^-pi^+pi^-)< 6.03 X10^{-5} at the 90% confidence level.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

Study of psi(2S) decays to X J/psi

Using J/psi -> mu^+ mu^- decays from a sample of approximately 4 million psi(2S) events collected with the BESI detector, the branching fractions of psi(2S) -> eta J/psi, pi^0 pi^0 J/psi, and anything J/psi normalized to that of psi(2S) -> pi^+ pi^- J/psi are measured. The results are B(psi(2S) -> eta J/psi)/B(psi(2S) -> pi^+ pi^- J/psi) = 0.098 \pm 0.005 \pm 0.010, B(psi(2S) -> pi^0 pi^0 J/psi)/B(psi(2S) -> pi^+ pi^- J/psi) = 0.570 \pm 0.009 \pm 0.026, and B(psi(2S) -> anything J/psi)/B(psi(2S) -> pi^+ pi^- J/psi) = 1.867 \pm 0.026 \pm 0.055.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figure

First observation of psi(2S)-->K_S K_L

The decay psi(2S)-->K_S K_L is observed for the first time using psi(2S) data collected with the Beijing Spectrometer (BESII) at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider (BEPC); the branching ratio is determined to be B(psi(2S)-->K_S K_L) = (5.24\pm 0.47 \pm 0.48)\times 10^{-5}. Compared with J/psi-->K_S K_L, the psi(2S) branching ratio is enhanced relative to the prediction of the perturbative QCD ``12%'' rule. The result, together with the branching ratios of psi(2S) decays to other pseudoscalar meson pairs (\pi^+\pi^- and K^+K^-), is used to investigate the relative phase between the three-gluon and the one-photon annihilation amplitudes of psi(2S) decays.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Observation of a ppb mass threshoud enhancement in \psi^\prime\to\pi^+\pi^-J/\psi(J/\psi\to\gamma p\bar{p}) decay

The decay channel $\psi^\prime\to\pi^+\pi^-J/\psi(J/\psi\to\gamma p\bar{p})$ is studied using a sample of $1.06\times 10^8$ $\psi^\prime$ events collected by the BESIII experiment at BEPCII. A strong enhancement at threshold is observed in the $p\bar{p}$ invariant mass spectrum. The enhancement can be fit with an $S$-wave Breit-Wigner resonance function with a resulting peak mass of $M=1861^{+6}_{-13} {\rm (stat)}^{+7}_{-26} {\rm (syst)} {\rm MeV/}c^2$ and a narrow width that is $\Gamma<38 {\rm MeV/}c^2$ at the 90% confidence level. These results are consistent with published BESII results. These mass and width values do not match with those of any known meson resonance.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Chinese Physics

Valley polarization in MoS2 monolayers by optical pumping

We report experimental evidences on selective occupation of the degenerate valleys in MoS2 monolayers by circularly polarized optical pumping. Over 30% valley polarization has been observed at K and K' valley via the polarization resolved luminescence spectra on pristine MoS2 monolayers. It demonstrates one viable way to generate and detect valley polarization towards the conceptual valleytronics applications with information carried by the valley index