Reactive interface formation and Co-induced (√7×√7 ) superstructure on a GaN(0001) pseudo- (1×1 ) substrate surface

Deposition of Co on GaN(0001) pseudo- (1×1) surface at room temperature by molecular-beam epitaxy is studied by low-energy electron diffraction, scanning-tunneling microscopy and first-principles total energy calculations. Reactive interface formation where the deposited Co reacts with Ga on GaN substrate forming CoGax (x∼2) compound or alloy can be inferred from surface morphology evolution and mass consideration. At an intermediate coverage about 0.4 monolayers, a specific (√7×√7) surface structural phase develops, as observed by both low-energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy studies. First-principles total energy calculations suggest that the (√7×√7) structure is induced by Co-trimers located slightly below the topmost Ga adlayer of the substrate. © 2010 The American Physical Society.published_or_final_versio

Competition between ferromagnetic metallic and paramagnetic insulating phases in manganites

La 0.67Ca 0.33Mn 1-xCu xO 3 (x=0 and 0.15) epitaxial thin films were grown on the (100) LaAlO 3 substrates, and the temperature dependence of their resistivity was measured in magnetic fields up to 12 T by a four-probe technique. We found that the competition between the ferromagnetic metallic (FM) and paramagnetic insulating (PI) phases plays an important role in the observed colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effect. Based on a scenario that the doped manganites approximately consist of phase-separated FM and PI regions, a simple phenomenological model was proposed to describe the CMR effect. Using this model, we calculated the resistivity as functions of temperature and magnetic field. The model not only qualitatively accounts for some main features related to the CMR effect, but also quantitatively agrees with the experimental observations. © 2002 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versio

Heterogeneous activation of peroxymonosulfate by a biochar-supported Co3O4 composite for efficient degradation of chloramphenicols

Herein, a new peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation system was established using a biochar (BC)-supported Co3O4 composite (Co3O4-BC) as a catalyst to enhance chloramphenicols degradation. The effects of the amount of Co3O4 load on the BC, Co3O4-BC amount, PMS dose and solution pH on the degradation of chloramphenicol (CAP) were investigated. The results showed that the BC support could well disperse Co3O4 particles. The degradation of CAP (30 mg/L) was enhanced in the Co3O4-BC/PMS system with the apparent degradation rate constant increased to 5.1, 19.4 and 7.2 times of that in the Co3O4/PMS, BC/PMS and PMS-alone control systems, respectively. Nearly complete removal of CAP was achieved in the Co3O4-BC/PMS system under the optimum conditions of 10 wt% Co3O4 loading on BC, 0.2 g/L. Co3O4-BC, 10 mM PMS and pH 7 within 10 min. The Co3O4/BC composites had a synergistic effect on the catalytic activity possibly because the conducting BC promoted electron transfer between the Co species and HSO5- and thus accelerated the Co3+/Co(2+)redox cycle. Additionally, over 85.0 +/- 1.5% of CAP was still removed in the 10th run. Although both SO4 center dot- and OH center dot were identified as the main active species, SO4 center dot- played a dominant role in CAP degradation. In addition, two other chloramphenicols, i.e., florfenicol (FF) and thiamphenicol (TAP), were also effectively degraded with percentages of 86.4 +/- 13% and 71.8 +/- 1.0%, respectively. This study provides a promising catalyst Co3O4-BC to activate PMS for efficient and persistent antibiotics degradation. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Area-level deprivation and adiposity in children: is the relationship linear?

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that childhood obesity is inversely associated with deprivation, such that the prevalence is higher in more deprived groups. However, comparatively few studies actually use an area-level measure of deprivation, limiting the scope to assess trends in the association with obesity for this indicator. Furthermore, most assume a linear relationship. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate associations between area-level deprivation and three measures of adiposity in children: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study in which data were collected on three occasions a year apart (2005-2007). SUBJECTS: Data were available for 13,333 children, typically aged 11-12 years, from 37 schools and 542 lower super-output areas (LSOAs). MEASURES: Stature, mass and WC. Obesity was defined as a BMI and WC exceeding the 95th centile according to British reference data. WHtR exceeding 0.5 defined obesity. The Index of Multiple Deprivation affecting children (IDACI) was used to determine area-level deprivation. RESULTS: Considerable differences in the prevalence of obesity exist between the three different measures. However, for all measures of adiposity the highest probability of being classified as obese is in the middle of the IDACI range. This relationship is more marked in girls, such that the probability of being obese for girls living in areas at the two extremes of deprivation is around half that at the peak, occurring in the middle. CONCLUSION: These data confirm the high prevalence of obesity in children and suggest that the relationship between obesity and residential area-level deprivation is not linear. This is contrary to the 'deprivation theory' and questions the current understanding and interpretation of the relationship between obesity and deprivation in children. These results could help make informed decisions at the local level

Selection of chromosomal DNA libraries using a multiplex CRISPR system.

The directed evolution of biomolecules to improve or change their activity is central to many engineering and synthetic biology efforts. However, selecting improved variants from gene libraries in living cells requires plasmid expression systems that suffer from variable copy number effects, or the use of complex marker-dependent chromosomal integration strategies. We developed quantitative gene assembly and DNA library insertion into the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome by optimizing an efficient single-step and marker-free genome editing system using CRISPR-Cas9. With this Multiplex CRISPR (CRISPRm) system, we selected an improved cellobiose utilization pathway in diploid yeast in a single round of mutagenesis and selection, which increased cellobiose fermentation rates by over 10-fold. Mutations recovered in the best cellodextrin transporters reveal synergy between substrate binding and transporter dynamics, and demonstrate the power of CRISPRm to accelerate selection experiments and discoveries of the molecular determinants that enhance biomolecule function

Thickness dependence of microstructures in La0.8Ca0.2MnO3 thin films

The thickness dependence of microstructures of La0.8Ca0.2MnO3 (LCMO)/SrTiO3 (STO) thin films was investigated by high-resolution x-ray diffraction, small angle x-ray reflection, grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The results show that all the LCMO films are well oriented in (00l) direction perpendicular to the substrate surface. Self-organized crystalline grains with a tetragonal shape are uniformly distributed on the film surface, indicating the deposition condition being of benefit to the formation of the crystalline grains. With increasing the film thickness, the crystalline quality of the LCMO film is improved, while the surface becomes rougher. There exists a nondesigned cap layer on the upper surface of the LCMO layer for all the samples. The mechanism is discussed briefly.published_or_final_versio

Curvature-dimension inequalities and Li-Yau inequalities in sub-Riemannian spaces

In this paper we present a survey of the joint program with Fabrice Baudoin originated with the paper \cite{BG1}, and continued with the works \cite{BG2}, \cite{BBG}, \cite{BG3} and \cite{BBGM}, joint with Baudoin, Michel Bonnefont and Isidro Munive.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1101.359

Establishing production service system and information collaboration platform for mold and die products

This paper investigates how the new concept of product service systems can be used and extended to transform, elevate, and revitalize traditional equipment manufacturing industry such as the Mold and Die (MD) sector. A mold and die production service systems (MPSS) framework is established based on recent developments within our industrial collaborators. Within the MPSS framework, MD manufacturers become more specialized in producing MD products and components while sharing and outsourcing manufacturing-oriented services (MOS) from a service provider. Typical services include collaborative order pooling and release, collaborative project progress status tracking, contractor-managed collaborative outsourcing, collaborative product design, collaborative production planning and scheduling, and after-sales technical supports. MOSs are designed, developed, and deployed as SaaS (software as application services) following the service-oriented architecture. Collectively, they form iMPSS-an Information and Collaboration Platform that enables MPSS. The use of iMPSS leads to benefits for stakeholders involved in providing mold and die functionality including better shopfloor decisions and reduced IT investments. © 2010 The Author(s).published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 21 Feb 201

Proteomics of synapse

Large-scale phosphoproteome analysis on synaptosome and preparation of post-synaptic density (PSD) were investigated. It was found that protein phosphor is a common event in the synapse, which is consistent with the presence of diverse classes of kinases and phosphatases in the synapse. Synaptic proteomics analysis required the purification of subcellular organelles from the brain regions of interest. Multiple steps of discontinuous density gradient ultra-centrifugation were employed to enrich the distinct organelles. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to separate and quantify proteins, including post-translational modified forms, from synaptic structures. It was observed that proteomic analysis of the synaptic vesicle identified 36 proteins, including seven integral membrane proteins and vesicle regulatory proteins

TRAIL signals through the ubiquitin ligase MID1 to promote pulmonary fibrosis

© 2019 The Author(s). Background: Tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has previously been demonstrated to play a pro-inflammatory role in allergic airways disease and COPD through the upregulation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase MID1 and the subsequent deactivation of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). Methods: Biopsies were taken from eight IPF patients presenting to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, China between January 2013 and February 2014 with control samples obtained from resected lung cancers. Serum TRAIL, MID1 protein and PP2A activity in biopsies, and patients' lung function were measured. Wild type and TRAIL deficient Tnfsf10 -/- BALB/c mice were administered bleomycin to induce fibrosis and some groups were treated with the FTY720 analogue AAL(s) to activate PP2A. Mouse fibroblasts were treated with recombinant TRAIL and fibrotic responses were assessed. Results: TRAIL in serum and MID1 protein levels in biopsies from IPF patients were increased compared to controls. MID1 levels were inversely associated while PP2A activity levels correlated with DLco. Tnfsf10 -/- and mice treated with the PP2A activator AAL(s) were largely protected against bleomycin-induced reductions in lung function and fibrotic changes. Addition of recombinant TRAIL to mouse fibroblasts in-vitro increased collagen production which was reversed by PP2A activation with AAL(s). Conclusion: TRAIL signalling through MID1 deactivates PP2A and promotes fibrosis with corresponding lung function decline. This may provide novel therapeutic targets for IPF