Seismic Effect Evaluation for Underground Space & Structures

It is stressed in this paper that in a strong earthquake the damages of all the underground structures, chambers or any sort of underground space differed quite a lot from that on the ground surface. Numerous evidences show ground motion attenuates immensely downward with depth. However, the earthquake resistance design for underground structures still ignores this fact and sticks to the criteria of ground structures. As a result, very conservative and exhausting design for underground engineering were caused. Through a series of investigations and based on the comparison between the ground damages and the underground damages of the same site, the authors tried to establish an empirical relationship among the predicted intensity/acceleration for aseismic design, the lithology of ambient strata, depth of embedment and the geometry {width/height ratio) of the underground space/structure. As a conclusion, this paper gives a clear picture of how different the underground damages would be from the ground surface and to what range the ground movement would change due to the existence of underground space directly underneath. This approach might be useful for modifying the criteria of a design earthquake for either ground or underground construction

TfR Binding Peptide Screened by Phage Display Technology - Characterization to Target Cancer Cells

Purpose: To screen an hTfR affinity peptide and investigate its activity in vitro.Methods: hTfR affinity phage clones were screened from 7-mer phage display library, and their binding ability evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A competitive assay was performed to discover the peptide BP9 (BP9) binding site on the cells. The inhibitory effect of BP9 on the cells was determined using thiazolyl blue (MTT) assay. EGFP-BP9 fusion protein was expressed in E. coli, and its binding and localization on cells were determined by fluorescence microscopy and confocal microscopy, respectively.Results: After three rounds of panning, recovery efficiency was 48-fold higher than that of the first round. The peptide BP9 sharing 2 identical amino acids to Tf showed high-affinity to hTfR, and possessed strong proliferation inhibition ratio on different tumour cells of 70 % (HepG2 cells)/77 % (SMMC-7221 cells) at a concentration of 0.1 mM, and 85 % (HepG2 cells)/81 % (SMMC-7221 cells) at a concentration of 0.001 mM for 48 h. The recombinant protein EGFP–BP9 could bind to tumour cells andgain entry via the endocytic pathway.Conclusion: BP9 can bind to TfR and inhibit the proliferation of the tumour cells over-expressing TfR. The DNA sequence coding for BP9 was able to target the macromolecule to combine with TfR. BP9 may possess potential applications in cancer therapy.Keywords: Peptide, hTfR, Transferrin receptor, Phage display technology, Enhanced green fluorescence protein, Target, Cancer cell

KDM2B/FBXL10 targets c-Fos for ubiquitylation and degradation in response to mitogenic stimulation.

KDM2B (also known as FBXL10) controls stem cell self-renewal, somatic cell reprogramming and senescence, and tumorigenesis. KDM2B contains multiple functional domains, including a JmjC domain that catalyzes H3K36 demethylation and a CxxC zinc-finger that recognizes CpG islands and recruits the polycomb repressive complex 1. Here, we report that KDM2B, via its F-box domain, functions as a subunit of the CUL1-RING ubiquitin ligase (CRL1/SCF(KDM2B)) complex. KDM2B targets c-Fos for polyubiquitylation and regulates c-Fos protein levels. Unlike the phosphorylation of other SCF (SKP1-CUL1-F-box)/CRL1 substrates that promotes substrates binding to F-box, epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced c-Fos S374 phosphorylation dissociates c-Fos from KDM2B and stabilizes c-Fos protein. Non-phosphorylatable and phosphomimetic mutations at S374 result in c-Fos protein which cannot be induced by EGF or accumulates constitutively and lead to decreased or increased cell proliferation, respectively. Multiple tumor-derived KDM2B mutations impaired the function of KDM2B to target c-Fos degradation and to suppress cell proliferation. These results reveal a novel function of KDM2B in the negative regulation of cell proliferation by assembling an E3 ligase to targeting c-Fos protein degradation that is antagonized by mitogenic stimulations

Factors Analysis on Safety of Indoor Air Quality

Influence factors on safety of indoor air quality (IAQ) were analyzed in this paper. Some regeneration compositions resulting from potential indoor chemical reactions may be more harmful to habitants. A few building flaws may be key factors on safety of IAQ, including space dimensions, structure styles, and airproof materials. The impacts of ventilation on IAQ were tested with regard to supply air and contaminants, indoor air distribution, and maintenance of the ventilation system

Soil greenhouse gas fluxes and net global warming potential from intensively cultivated vegetable fields in southwestern China

Session 2: Nitrogen, Green House Gasses and Agricultur

Humanoid Balancing Behavior Featured by Underactuated Foot Motion

A novel control synthesis is proposed for humanoids to demonstrate unique foot-tilting behaviors that are comparable to humans in balance recovery. Our study of model-based behaviors explains the underlying mechanism and the significance of foot tilting well. Our main algorithms are composed of impedance control at the center of mass, virtual stoppers that prevent overtilting of the feet, and postural control for the torso. The proof of concept focuses on the sagittal scenario and the proposed control is effective to produce human-like balancing behaviors characterized by active foot tilting. The successful replication of this behavior on a real humanoid proves the feasibility of deliberately controlled underactuation. The experimental validation was rigorously performed, and the data from the submodules and the entire control were presented and analyzed

Quantum dots on vertically aligned gold nanorod monolayer: plasmon enhanced fluorescence

Cataloged from PDF version of article.CTAB-coated Au nanorods were directly self-assembled into a vertically aligned monolayer with highly uniform hot spots through a simple but robust approach. By coupling with CdSe/ZnS quantum dots, a maximum enhancement of 10.4 is achieved due to: increased excitation transition rate, radiative rate, and coupling efficiency of emission to the far field