Diamond turning of soft semiconductors to obtain nanometric mirror surfaces

Diamond cutting is a viable alternative to grinding and polishing in the fabrication of high-quality soft semiconductors. Investigation of indentation provides useful information for understanding the practical diamond cutting process of brittle materials. Cutting forces and temperatures were analysed using a Kistler dynamometer and an infrared technique. A zero rake angle cutting tool was found to be most efficient, partly because the effective rake is really a strong negative rake brought about by the peculiar configuration of very low feeds and depths of cut. This is explained by means of the comparison of the force distribution between conventional turning and ultraprecision machining. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the surfaces. Zinc sulfide gave subnanometric surfaces (0.88 m) and zinc selenide gave Ra values of 2.91 nm

Research on a special scarifier mechanism with finite element analysis method

Abstract—A scarifier mechanism with rotary tillage and antirotary grubbing is proposed for inducing the power of tillage in hardens soil. MAT147 material modal is amended by experimental method and soil high-speed cutting finite element modal is build through SPH method, further, the tools parameter of proposed mechanism and soil cutting speed are studied by FEA numerical simulation through orthogonal experiments method. Finally, the result shows that the proposed mechanism with proper structural parameters and work speeds can reduce the requirement of power of tillage and increase the working efficiency of small agricultural machinery

Stability of strangelet at finite temperature

Using the quark mass density- and temperature dependent model, we have studied the thermodynamical properties and the stability of strangelet at finite temperature. The temperature, charge and strangeness dependences on the stability of strangelet are investigated. We find that the stable strangelets are only occured in the high strangeness and high negative charge region.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figure

Chiral condensates and size of the sigma term

The in-medium chiral condensate is studied with a new approach which has the advantage of no need for extra assumptions on the current mass derivatives of model parameters. It is shown that the pion-nucleon sigma term is 9/2 times the average current mass of light quarks, if quark confinement is linear. Considering both perturbative and non-perturbative interactions, the chiral condensate decreases monotonously with increasing densities, approaching to zero at about 4 fm^{-3}.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, elsart styl

Analysis of long-term depression in the Purkinje cell circuit (a model study)

In the cerebellum, long-term depression (LTD) plays a key function in sculpting neuronal circuits to store information, since motor learning and memory are thought to be associated with such long-term changes in synaptic efficacy. To better understand the principles of transmission of information in the cerebellum, we, in our model, distinguished different types of neurons (type 1- and type 2-like) to examine the neuronal excitability and analyze the interspike interval (ISI) bifurcation phenomenon in these units, and then built a Purkinje cell circuit to study the impact of external stimulation on LTD in this circuit. According to the results of computational analysis, both climbing fiber-Purkinje cell and granule cell-Purkinje cell circuits were found to manifest LTD; the external stimuli would influence LTD by changing both depression time and depression intensity. All of the simulated results showed that LTD is a very significant factor in the Purkinje circuit networks. Finally, to deliver the learning regularities, we simulated spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) by increasing the CaP conductance.У мозочку довготривала депресія (ДД) відіграє ключову роль у пристосуванні нейронних мереж до накопичення інформації, оскільки моторне навчання та пам’ять, як вважають, асоційовані з подібними тривалими змінами синаптичної ефективності. Намагаючись краще зрозуміти принципи передачі інформації в мозочку, в перебігу дослідження збудливості нервових клітин та аналізу феномена біфуркації міжімпульсних інтервалів у цих нейронах ми диференціювали в нашій моделі різні види нейронів (першого і другого типів). Потім була сформована модель нервової мережі клітини Пуркін̕ є для дослідження впливів зовнішньої стимуляції на ДД у такій мережі. Відповідно до результатів комп’ютерного аналізу, ДД проявляється і в мережі «ліаноподібне волокно–клітина Пуркін̕ є», і в мережі «гранулярна клітина–клітина Пуркін̕ є». Зовнішня стимуляція може впливати на ДД, змінюючи як час, так і інтенсивність депресії. Згідно з результатами моделювання, ДД є дуже істотним фактором при функціонуванні мереж, котрі містять у собі клітини Пуркін̕ є. Нарешті, ми, щоб виявити закономірності процесу навчання, за допомогою збільшення CaP-провідності моделювали пластичність, залежну від часу генерації піка (STDP)

Establishment of serum protein pattern for screening colorectal cancer using SELDI-TOF-MS

Aim: The purpose of this study is to develop a proteomic pattern for distinguishing individuals with colorectal cancer from healthy controls and monitoring micrometastasis using SELDI-TOF-MS. Methods: A training set consisting of 63 patients with colorectal cancer, 20 patients with benign colorectal diseases and 26 healthy volunteers was used to develop a proteomic model that discriminated colorectal cancer effectively. The sensitivity and specificity of this model was validated by an independent test set. To explore serum proteins changed after operation, the protein profiles of 31 postoperative patients were compared with those of preoperative patients. We also analyzed protein profiles of patients with and without metastasis to monitor micrometastasis. Results: Our study yielded a four-peak model (m/z: 3191.5, 3262.9, 3396.3 and 5334.4) that discriminated cancer from non-cancer samples with sensitivity of 90.3% and specificity of 95.7%. This model was validated in the test set with sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 93.8% which was significantly better than the combination use of CEA, CA199 and CA242 (sensitivity 62.4%) for early detection of colorectal cancer. Two peaks (m/z: 2753.8 and 4172.4) were found down-regulated in postoperative samples comparing with preoperative samples. We also detected two proteins (m/z: 9184.4 and 9340.9) that can discriminate patients with primary colorectal cancer from metastatic colorectal cancer. Conclusions: The four-peak model and two peaks (m/z: 2753.8 and 4172.4) detected in this study have the potential for assistance in diagnostics and therapeutic strategies in colorectal cancer and the two proteins (m/z: 9184.4 and 9340.9) were effective biomarkers for monitoring micrometastasis.Цель: исследование белкового профиля сыворотки крови больных колоректальным раком и здоровых доноров методом SELDI-TOF-MS для диагностики заболевания и мониторинга микрометастазов. Методы: методом SELDI-TOF-MS исследованы сыворотки крови 63 больных колоректальным раком, 20 больных с доброкачественными новообразованиями прямой кишки и 26 — здоровых доноров. Проведено сравнение профилей белков сыворотки крови 31 больного до и после хирургического вмешательства, а также больных с метастазами или без таковых. Результаты: получена 4-пиковая модель (m/z: 3191,5; 3262,9; 3396,3 и 5334,4), позволяющая отличить опухолевые образцы от неопухолевых с чувствительностью 90,3% и специфичностью 95,7%. Такая модель проверена в тест-системе с чувствительностью 87,5% и специфичностью 93,8%, что является лучшим результатом, чем комбинированное применение CEA, CA199 и CA242 (чувствительность 62,4%) для раннего выявления колоректального рака. Выявлено снижение интенсивности двух пиков (m/z: 2753,8 и 4172,4) при сравнении образцов до и после проведения операции, и идентифицированы два белка (m/z: 9184,4 и 9340,9), позволяющие выявлять больных колоректальным раком с метастазами. Выводы: полученная мо

A Statistical Study on Photospheric Magnetic Nonpotentiality of Active Regions and Its Relationship with Flares during Solar Cycles 22-23

A statistical study is carried out on the photospheric magnetic nonpotentiality in solar active regions and its relationship with associated flares. We select 2173 photospheric vector magnetograms from 1106 active regions observed by the Solar Magnetic Field Telescope at Huairou Solar Observing Station, National Astronomical Observatories of China, in the period of 1988-2008, which covers most of the 22nd and 23rd solar cycles. We have computed the mean planar magnetic shear angle (\bar{\Delta\phi}), mean shear angle of the vector magnetic field (\bar{\Delta\psi}), mean absolute vertical current density (\bar{|J_{z}|}), mean absolute current helicity density (\bar{|h_{c}|}), absolute twist parameter (|\alpha_{av}|), mean free magnetic energy density (\bar{\rho_{free}}), effective distance of the longitudinal magnetic field (d_{E}), and modified effective distance (d_{Em}) of each photospheric vector magnetogram. Parameters \bar{|h_{c}|}, \bar{\rho_{free}}, and d_{Em} show higher correlation with the evolution of the solar cycle. The Pearson linear correlation coefficients between these three parameters and the yearly mean sunspot number are all larger than 0.59. Parameters \bar{\Delta\phi}, \bar{\Delta\psi}, \bar{|J_{z}|}, |\alpha_{av}|, and d_{E} show only weak correlations with the solar cycle, though the nonpotentiality and the complexity of active regions are greater in the activity maximum periods than in the minimum periods. All of the eight parameters show positive correlations with the flare productivity of active regions, and the combination of different nonpotentiality parameters may be effective in predicting the flaring probability of active regions.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in Solar Physic

Effects of different probiotics on the gut microbiome and metabolites in the serum and caecum of weaning piglets

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of antibiotics, yeast culture (YC), and Lactobacillus culture (LC) on the gut microbiome and metabolites in the serum and caecum of weaning piglets. Twenty-four weaning piglets were divided into four treatment groups: control, antibiotic (1% chlortetracycline), 1.8% yeast culture (YC), and 1.6% Lactobacillus culture groups (LC). Each group had six replicated pens with one pig per pen. Feed and water were available ad libitum. Dietary supplementation with antibiotics, YC and LC increased the abundance of phylum, Firmicutes, and decreased the abundance of phylum, Proteobacteria. Beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Megasphaera in YC and LC groups increased, whereas the proportion of Shigella was decreased. Genera Alloprevotella and Lachnospira were biomarkers in the control and antibiotic groups, respectively. Phylum, Bacteroidetes, and genus, Collinsella, were biomarkers in the YC group, and Mitsuokella, Anaerotruncus, Syntrophococcus and Sharpea were biomarkers in the LC group. Dietary supplementation with different probiotics changed the serum and caecum metabolite profiles too. Antibiotic supplementation increased the levels of D-mannose, D-glucose, and hexadecanoic acid in the serum, and the levels of myo-inositol, D-mannose and benzenepropanoic acid in the caecum. LC increased the concentrations of D-mannose, cis-9-hexadecenoic acid and heptadecanoic acid in caecum compared with the control group. YC and LC supplementation in the weaning diet could improve the abundance of beneficial bacteria by changing the concentrations of some metabolites in the serum and caecum. Therefore, dietary supplementation with YC or LC could be used as additives instead of antibiotics in weaning piglets.Keywords: antibiotic; lactobacillus culture; yeast culture; high-throughput sequencing; gas chromatography mass spectrometr