ALBERT

Description: The Euler-Taylor-Galerkin flux-corrected transport (ETG-FCT) algorithm for the numerical solution of particle transport equations is described, based on the method developed by Lohner to solve conservation equations in fluid mechanics, and its application is extended to gas discharge problems. To improve the efficiency of computing and reduce numerical error, the nonuniform triangular mesh method is introduced, and the continuity equation is solved by ETG-FCT. The new contributions in this paper include the development of the ETG scheme and its application to rod-plate gap streamer discharge in 50~50% SF6/N2 gas mixtures problems. Results are obtained: the spatial distributions of electron densities, positive ion densities, negative ion densities, photoelectron densities, and the electric field, respectively. The velocities of streamer propagations and the radius of streamer obtained from the proposed model are in good agreement with experimental and simulation results in literature. The results also prove that the ETG-FCT method is valid.

Description: Conventional bearing fault diagnosis methods require specialized instruments to acquire signals that can reflect the health condition of the bearing. For instance, an accelerometer is used to acquire vibration signals, whereas an encoder is used to measure motor shaft speed. This study proposes a new method for simplifying the instruments for motor bearing fault diagnosis. Specifically, a video clip recording of a running bearing system is captured using a cellphone that is equipped with a camera and a microphone. The recorded video is subsequently analyzed to obtain the instantaneous frequency of rotation (IFR). The instantaneous fault characteristic frequency (IFCF) of the defective bearing is obtained by analyzing the sound signal that is recorded by the microphone. The fault characteristic order is calculated by dividing IFCF by IFR to identify the fault type of the bearing. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method are verified by a series of experiments. This study provides a simple, flexible, and effective solution for motor bearing fault diagnosis. Given that the signals are gathered using an affordable and accessible cellphone, the proposed method is proven suitable for diagnosing the health conditions of bearing systems that are located in remote areas where specialized instruments are unavailable or limited.

Description: Potassium (K) deficiency is one of the main limiting factors in cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) production. To study the mechanism of high K-use efficiency of cotton, a pot experiment was conducted. The experiment consisted of two cotton genotypes differing in K-use efficiency (H103 and L122) and two K-application levels (K 0 : 0 g (kg soil) –1 ; K 1 : 0.40 g (kg soil) –1 ). Root-hair density and length, partitioning of biomass and K in various organs, as well as K-use efficiency of the two cotton genotypes were examined. The results show that there was no significant difference in K uptake between the two genotypes at both treatments, although the genotype H103 (high K-use efficiency) exhibited markedly higher root-hair density than genotype L122 in the K 1 treatment. Correlation analysis indicates that neither root-hair density nor root-hair length was correlated with plant K uptake. Furthermore, the boll biomass of genotype H103 was significantly higher than that of genotype L122 in both treatments, and the K accumulation in bolls of genotype H103 was 39%–48% higher than that of genotype L122. On the other hand, the litter index (LI) and the litter K-partitioning index (LKPI) of genotype H103 were 14%–21% and 22%–27% lower than that of genotype L122. Lastly, the K-use efficiency of total plant (KUE-P) of genotype H103 was comparable with that of genotype L122 in both treatments, but the K-use efficiency in boll yield (KUE-B) of genotype H103 was 24% and 41% higher than that of genotype L122 in K 0 and K 1 treatments. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that KUE-P was positively correlated with BKPI and negatively correlated with LKPI, while KUE-B was positively correlated with BKPI and boll-harvest index (HI B ), and negatively correlated with LKPI. It is concluded that there were no pronounced effects of root-hair traits on plant K uptake of the two genotypes. The difference in K-use efficiency was attributed to different patterns of biomass and K partitioning rather than difference in K uptake of the two genotypes.

Description: The mole ratio r(r=[I−]0/[ClO2]0) has great influence on ClO2-I−-H2SO4 closed reaction system. By changing the initiate concentration of potassium iodide, the curve of absorbance along with the reaction time was obtained at 350 nm and 297 nm for triiodide ion, and 460 nm for iodine. The changing point of the absorbance curve's shape locates at r=6.00. For the reaction of ClO2-I− in the absence of H2SO4, the curve of absorbance along with the reaction time can be obtained at 350 nm for triiodide ion, 460 nm for iodine. The mole ratio r is equal to 1.00 is the changing point of the curve's shape no matter at which wavelength to determine the reaction. For the reaction of ClO2-I−-H+ in different pH buffer solution, the curve of absorbance along with the reaction time was recorded at 460 nm for iodine. When r is greater than 1.00, the transition point of the curve's shape locates at pH 2.0, which is also the point of producing chlorite or chloride for chlorine dioxide at different pH. When r is less than 1.00, the transition point locates at pH 7.0.

Description: Potassium (K) deficiency is one of the main limiting factors in cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) production. To study the mechanism of high K-use efficiency of cotton, a pot experiment was conducted. The experiment consisted of two cotton genotypes differing in K-use efficiency (H103 and L122) and two K-application levels (K 0 : 0 g (kg soil) –1 ; K 1 : 0.40 g (kg soil) –1 ). Root-hair density and length, partitioning of biomass and K in various organs, as well as K-use efficiency of the two cotton genotypes were examined. The results show that there was no significant difference in K uptake between the two genotypes at both treatments, although the genotype H103 (high K-use efficiency) exhibited markedly higher root-hair density than genotype L122 in the K 1 treatment. Correlation analysis indicates that neither root-hair density nor root-hair length was correlated with plant K uptake. Furthermore, the boll biomass of genotype H103 was significantly higher than that of genotype L122 in both treatments, and the K accumulation in bolls of genotype H103 was 39%–48% higher than that of genotype L122. On the other hand, the litter index (LI) and the litter K-partitioning index (LKPI) of genotype H103 were 14%–21% and 22%–27% lower than that of genotype L122. Lastly, the K-use efficiency of total plant (KUE-P) of genotype H103 was comparable with that of genotype L122 in both treatments, but the K-use efficiency in boll yield (KUE-B) of genotype H103 was 24% and 41% higher than that of genotype L122 in K 0 and K 1 treatments. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that KUE-P was positively correlated with BKPI and negatively correlated with LKPI, while KUE-B was positively correlated with BKPI and boll-harvest index (HI B ), and negatively correlated with LKPI. It is concluded that there were no pronounced effects of root-hair traits on plant K uptake of the two genotypes. The difference in K-use efficiency was attributed to different patterns of biomass and K partitioning rather than difference in K uptake of the two genotypes.

Description: Abstract In order to investigate how Fe was enriched from parental high‐Ti basaltic magma to form the stratigraphically thick Fe‐Ti oxide ore at the bottom layers, we present a systematic study for Fe isotopic compositions of whole rocks and mineral separates (clinopyroxene, magnetite, and ilmenite) throughout the Panzhihua intrusion. Whole rock δ56Fe ranges from 0 ± 0.02‰ to 0.15 ± 0.04‰, consistent with the range of clinopyroxene (0.01 ± 0.02‰ to 0.16 ± 0.05‰). On the contrary, magnetite (Mt) separates have δ56Fe ranging from 0.17 ± 0.05‰ to 0.62 ± 0.02‰, showing a strikingly complementary trend with coexisting ilmenite (Ilm) separates (−0.52 ± 0.03‰ to −0.09 ± 0.02‰) along the profile. The calculated bulk δ56Fe of Fe‐Ti oxides (Mt + Ilm), however, has a small range from 0.01‰ to 0.16‰, identical to those for clinopyroxene separates and whole rocks. The uniform δ56Fe of clinopyroxene may have resulted from the small Fe isotope fractionation between clinopyroxene and parental magma in early‐stage magma differentiation before substantial crystallization of Fe‐Ti oxides. The complementary trends of δ56Fe for Mt and Ilm along the profile and the uniform bulk δ56Fe of Fe‐Ti oxides are better interpreted as in situ crystallization of Fe‐Ti oxides from the interstitial liquid. Our Fe isotopic data and petrographic observations indicate that the thick Fe‐Ti oxide ore layers in the lower zone of the Panzhihua intrusion may be attributed to in situ crystallization of Mt and Ilm from the interstitial, immiscible Fe‐rich melt in the lower part of the magma chamber.

Description: Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) and human adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cells (hATMSCs) have the potential to differentiate into cardiomyocytes, making them promising therapeutic candidates for treating damaged cardiac tissues. Currently, however, the differentiated cells induced from hUCMSCs or hATMSCs can hardly display functional characteristics similar to cardiomyocytes. In this study, we have investigated the effects of bioactive lipid sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) on cardiac differentiations of hUCMSCs and hATMSCs in condition medium composed of cardiac myocytes culture medium or 5-azacytidine. Cardiac differentiations were identified through immunofluorescence staining, and the results were observed with fluorescence microscopy and confocal microscopy. Synergistic effects of S1P and condition medium on cell viability were evaluated by MTT assays. Functional characteristics similar to cardiomyocytes were evaluated through detecting calcium transient. The differentiated hUCMSCs or hATMSCs in each group into cardiomyocytes showed positive expressions of cardiac specific proteins, including α-actin, connexin-43 and myosin heavy chain-6 (MYH-6). MTT assays showed that suitable differentiation time was 14 days and that the optimal concentration of S1P was 0.5 μM. Moreover, incorporation of S1P and cardiac myocytes culture medium gave rise to calcium transients, an important marker for displaying in vivo electrophysiological properties. This feature was not observed in the S1P-5-azacytidine group, indicating the possible lack of cellular stimuli such as transforming growth factor-beta, TGF-β. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: The spatial pattern of the semidiurnal M2 tidal currents in the East China Sea (ECS) is mapped from the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), taking advantage of the satellite's unique eight hourly local daytime sequential images. The GOCI-derived surface M2 tidal currents are validated with a comprehensive set of twenty-eight surface drifters and four mooring observations. The agreement is outstanding with the error variance less than 10% of the total variance. The gridded GOCI-derived tidal currents are also in good agreement with the Oregon State University (OSU) high-resolution regional tidal model of the China Seas. The detided mean flow shows a strong Changjiang plume extending hundreds of kilometers offshore, in agreement with the concurrent satellite sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface salinity (SSS) distributions. The observed surface currents are compared with the daily mean flows derived from the Japan Coastal Ocean Predictability Experiment (JCOPE2). The model results are consistent with the observations, showing the sensitivity of Changjiang plume to wind forcing. The study clearly demonstrates the utility of geostationary satellite in mapping the surface currents over a wide (∼ 400 km), tidally dominated continental shelf. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: LASS2/TMSG1 was a novel tumor metastasis suppressor gene which was firstly cloned by our laboratory from non-metastatic and metastatic cancer cell variants of human prostate carcinoma PC-3M using mRNA differential display in 1999. LASS2/TMSG1 could interact with the C subunit of vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase, ATP6V0C) and regulate V-ATPase activity. In an attempt to provide molecular mechanism of the interaction between LASS2/TMSG1 and V-ATPase, we constructed four variant transfectants containing different functional domain of LASS2/TMSG1 and stably transfected the variants to human prostate cancer cell line PC-3M-1E8 cell with high metastatic potential. Results showed there were no obvious differences of V-ATPase expression among different transfected cells and the control. However, V-ATPase activity and Intracellular pH (pHi) was significantly higher in the variant transfectants with Homeodomain of LASS2/TMSG1 than that in the control using the pH-dependent fluorescence probe BECEF/AM. Immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence and immuno-electron microscope alone or in combination demonstrated the direct interaction of Homeodomain of LASS2/TMSG1 and ATP6V0C. Loss of Homeodomain markedly enhanced the proliferation ability but weakened the apoptotic effect of LASS2/TMSG1 in PC-3M-1E8 cells. These lines of results for the first time contribute to the conclusion that LASS2/TMSG1 could regulate V-ATPase activity and intracellular pH through the direct interaction of its Homeodomain and the C subunit of V-ATPase. Their interaction could play impotant roles in the apoptosis of tumor cells. J. Cell. Biochem. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Description: Accurate estimation of vegetation biophysical variables such as the vegetation canopy height () is of great importance to the applications of the land surface models. It is difficult to obtain the data of at the regional scale or larger scale, but the remote sensing provides the most useful and most effective method. The leaf area index (LAI) is closely related to the , and we analyzed its relationship with the correlation analysis based on the dataset at 86 site-years of field measurements from sites worldwide in this study. The result indicates that there is significant positive exponent correlation between these two parameters and the change of LAI would exert great impacts on . The higher the LAI is, the higher the is, and vice versa. Besides, the coefficients of different land cover types are very heterogeneous, and LAI of the needleleaf forest shows strong correlation with , while that of the cropland shows weak correlation with . The results may provide certain reference information for the extraction of the data of at the regional scale with the remote sensing data.