BIOMECHANICS ANALYSIS OF FORWARD HANDSPRING AND SALTO STRETCHED WITH 5/2 TWIST IN VAULTING

The purpose of this study was to provide biomechanical analysis of the vault, Handspring Forward and Salto Forward Stretched with 5/2 Twist (Vault Number 2538). This routine was considered one of the most superior moves in recent international gymnastics competitions. It has a high degree of difficulty and its execution results in a base score of 10. In this paper, analysis of the Conservation of Angular Momentum was obtained. In addition, Coriolis’s moment of inertia momentum and conical-curve movement of the legs in opposite direction of this movement was calculated to obtain the technique for approach and for technical requirements. The data collected would provide information for athletes in their training

Low Resistivity Contrast Gas Bearing Formation Identification from Conventional Logs in Tight Gas Sandstones

It’s a great challenge in identifying gas bearing formation from conventional logs in tight gas sandstones due to the low resistivity contrast caused by high irreducible water saturation. Based on the difference of the principles of three kinds of porosity logs (density, neutron and acoustic logs), three porosities difference method, three porosities ratio method, correlation of neutron and density logs and the overlap method of water-filled porosity and total porosity are introduced to identify tight gas bearing reservoirs. In gas bearing formations, the difference of three porosities is higher than 0.0, the ratio of three porosities is higher than 1.0, the correlation between density and neutron logs is negative, and the water filled porosities are lower than total porosities. On the contrary, in water saturated formations, the difference of three porosities is lower than 0.0, the ratio of three porosities is lower than 1.0, the correlation between density and neutron logs is positive, and the water filled porosities are overlapped with total porosities. Considering the complexity of in-suit formation, when the proposed identification criterion are mainly meet, the pore fluid should be determined, field examples show that the proposed techniques are applicable in tight gas formation identification.Key words: Low resistivity contrast gas bearing formation; Tight gas sandstones;  Identification; Difference of three porosities; Ratio of three porosities; Correlation of neutron and density log

Draft Genome Sequence of a Potential Nitrate-Dependent Fe(II)-Oxidizing Bacterium, Aquabacterium parvum B6

Aquabacterium parvum B6 is a potential nitrate-dependent Fe(II)-oxidizing bacterium. The genes related to its denitrifying mechanism and iron metabolisms were unknown. We present the draft genome of Aquabacterium parvum B6, which could provide further insight into the nitrate-dependent Fe(II)-oxidizing mechanism of strain B6

Modeling and Simulation of the Mechanical Behaviour of Hydrogels

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Canonical and interior circular RNAs function as competing endogenous RNAs in psoriatic skin

(1) Background: Understanding the function of circular RNAs (circRNAs), a class of noncoding RNA, in psoriatic skin can provide important insights into the complex regulation of genes contributing to the pathogenesis of psoriasis. (2) Methods: A novel method was applied to RNA-seq datasets from 93 skin biopsy samples to comprehensively identify circRNAs of all types, i.e., canonical circRNAs from the intron-exon junctions of mRNAs and interior circRNAs (i-circRNAs) from the interior regions of exons, introns, and intergenic regions. Selected circRNAs were experimentally validated by qRT-PCR and Sanger sequencing. CircRNAs with abundant and differential expression were identified and their putative function as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) was analyzed by an integrated analysis of circRNAs, microRNAs, and mRNAs. (3) Results: With a comprehensive search using no information of splicing signals, we systematically identified 179 highly abundant circRNAs in psoriatic skin. Many of these were reported for the first time and many were differentially expressed in involved versus normal or uninvolved skin. Validation based on three additional RNA-seq datasets confirmed most of the identified circRNAs in psoriatic skin. Experimental analyses confirmed the expression of the well-known circRNA CDR1as, a canonical circRNA, and a novel i-circRNA in psoriasis. We also identified many circRNAs that may act as ceRNAs to regulate the expression of mRNA genes in psoriasis-related signaling pathways in psoriasis. (4) Conclusions: The result of the study suggested that circRNAs are abundant in psoriatic skin, have distinct characteristics, and contribute to psoriatic pathogenesis

Prognostic factors and outcomes of early-stage small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix: 37 cases from a single center

Background The objective of this study is to investigate small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (SCCC), using a retrospective clinicopathological characteristic and treatment approach. Method We retrospectively analyzed cases of early-stage SCCC, identified between 2006 and 2016, in women who received radical surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy. Kaplan–Meier and one-way ANOVA analyses were performed. Result A total of 37 cases of SCCC are presented in this study, of which 21 had stage IB1 SCCC, 12 had stage IB2, 3 had stage IIA1, and 1 had stage IIA2. All patients were treated with radical surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy, specifically, 26 with radical surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy plus radiation and 11 with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by radical surgery. After a median follow-up time of 27 months (range, 8–115 months), the 2-year and 5-year disease-free survival rate for all patients was 51.9% and 34.1%, respectively, and the overall survival rate was 60.3% and 38.6%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and tumor size may be a predictor of a poor prognosis. NACT and adjuvant radiation did not improve survival over adjuvant chemotherapy alone but should not be a significant independent prognostic factor for survival. Conclusion Even in patients with early-stage SCCC, the prognosis is poor, although FIGO stage and tumor size may act as surrogate factors prognostic of survival

Oxidation-Resistant, Solution-Processed Plasmonic Ni Nanochain-SiO\u3csub\u3ex\u3c/sub\u3e (x \u3c 2) Selective Solar Thermal Absorbers

Metal oxidation at high temperatures has long been a challenge in cermet solar thermal absorbers, which impedes the development of atmospherically stable, high-temperature, high-performance concentrated solar power (CSP) systems. In this work, we demonstrate solution-processed Ni nanochain-SiOx (x \u3c 2) and Ni nanochain-SiO2 selective solar thermal absorbers that exhibit a strong anti-oxidation behavior up to 600 °C in air. The thermal stability is far superior to previously reported Ni nanoparticle-Al2O3 selective solar thermal absorbers, which readily oxidize at 450 °C. The SiOx (x \u3c 2) and SiO2 matrices are derived from hydrogen silsesquioxane and tetraethyl orthosilicate precursors, respectively, which comprise Si-O cage-like structures and Si-O networks. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy shows that the dissociation of Si-O cage-like structures and Si-O networks at high temperatures have enabled the formation of new bonds at the Ni/SiOx interface to passivate the surface of Ni nanoparticles and prevent oxidation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy demonstrate that the excess Si in the SiOx (x \u3c 2) matrices reacts with Ni nanostructures to form silicides at the interfaces, which further improves the anti-oxidation properties. As a result, Ni-SiOx (x \u3c 2) systems demonstrate better anti-oxidation performance than Ni-SiO2 systems. This oxidation-resistant Ni nanochain-SiOx (x \u3c 2) cermet coating also exhibits excellent high-temperature optical performance, with a high solar absorptance of ∼90% and a low emittance ∼18% measured at 300 °C. These results open the door towards atmospheric stable, high temperature, high-performance solar selective absorber coatings processed by low-cost solution-chemical methods for future generations of CSP systems

Mechanical Behavior of Natural Hydraulic Lime Mortars

Natural hydraulic lime (NHL) mortars are widely used for restoration works due to their good compatibility with the substrate material in terms of physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. Regarding their mechanical characterization, there is still a need for further understanding of their fracture behavior and the influence of their dosage methodology on the mechanical properties. Thus, this chapter focuses on the mechanical characterization of NHL mortars, such as flexural, compressive, and splitting tensile strengths, elastic modulus, and fracture energy. Moreover, the influence of the composition and production process on such properties was studied as well. Furthermore, the loading rate effect on the fracture behavior was also presented. The results show that NHL mortars have shape and size effect on the compressive strength. In addition, NHL mortar is rate sensitive, mainly due to the viscous effects caused by the presence of free water in the porous structure

Resonant Homoclinic Flips Bifurcation in Principal Eigendirections

A codimension-4 homoclinic bifurcation with one orbit flip and one inclination flip at principal eigenvalue direction resonance is considered. By introducing a local active coordinate system in some small neighborhood of homoclinic orbit, we get the Poincaré return map and the bifurcation equation. A detailed investigation produces the number and the existence of 1-homoclinic orbit, 1-periodic orbit, and double 1-periodic orbits. We also locate their bifurcation surfaces in certain regions