Instrumented impact testing of phenolphthalein polyether ketone

The Charpy impact fracture behaviour of unnotched specimens of phenolphthalein polyether ketone (PEK-C) was studied over a temperature range from room temperature to 220 degrees C by using an instrumented impact tester. The load-time and energy-time curves of PEK-C at different temperatures were recorded. From these curves, some important parameters, such as the maximum impact load, the maximum stress, the total impact energy, the crack initiation energy, the crack propagation energy etc., were obtained and their temperature dependences of PEK-C were investigated. The point of 100 percent maximum load on the load-time trace was shown to be the yield point. Two parameters, the ductile ratio (D.R.) and the ductility index (D.I.) were applied to characterize the ductility of PEK-C and their relationships to the relaxation processes were discussed.

栉孔扇贝抗鳗弧菌感染性状候选基因的多态性研究

栉孔扇贝（Chlamys farreri���是我国北方地区主要的养殖贝类之一，曾为沿海各省带来巨大的经济效益。但自1997年以来，陆续爆发的病害问题给扇贝养殖业造成了巨大的经济损失，严重影响了该产业的健康发展。目前认为培育抗病性强的扇贝优良品种是解决病害问题的根本途径。由于传统的育种方法费时费力，无法满足对良种的迫切需求，因此有必要通过分子手段加快抗病品种的培育步伐。标记辅助育种（marker assisted selection，MAS）是成功应用于动物育种中的分子手段之一，但由于缺乏与抗病性状相关的标记，MAS目前还无法在软体动物中得到应用。因此，寻找与抗病性状相关的分子标记是在软体动物中发展MAS的关键。 本研究利用鳗弧菌（Listonella anguillarum）对栉孔扇贝进行攻毒感染实验，初步得到敏感群体和抗病群体后采用PCR、PCR-RFLP、Bi-PASA PCR等方法研究了CfLysG、CfC1qDC和CfLITAF基因多态性及其与栉孔扇贝对鳗弧菌抗性的关系。 研究发现，栉孔扇贝CfLysG的基因序列中共有104个单核苷酸多态性（SNP）位点和29个插入/缺失（I/D���多态性位点。有17个多态性位点位于启动子区域，选择其中的-753 I/D���-391A/G和-284I/D���态性进行检测，发现这三个位点的基因型在敏感群体和抗病群体中的分布均符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡（P>0.05）。其中-753 ID基因型和-284 ID基因在抗病群体中的频率高于在敏感群体中的频率，但两者之间无显著性差异（P>0.05）。-391 AG基因型在抗病群体中的频率显著高于敏感群体（P=0.007），表明-391 AG基因型与栉孔扇贝对鳗弧菌的抗性显著相关。为验证这一相关性，对-391位点不同基因型的扇贝进行攻毒感染实验。统计发现，具有-391 AA基因型的扇贝累计死亡率显著高于具有-391 AG基因型的扇贝（P=0.001），进一步证实了CfLysG基因-391 AG基因型与栉孔扇贝对鳗弧菌的抗性显著相关。CfLysG基因的外显子共有3处SNP，其中仅第三外显子上的+3473 A/C为非同义突变。统计分析表明，+3473位点不同基因型在敏感群体中的分布频率符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡（P>0.05），而在抗病群体中则偏离Hardy-Weinberg平衡（P<0.01）。+3473 AA基因型在抗病群体中的频率显著高于在敏感群体中的频率（P=0.022），表明+3473 AA基因型与栉孔扇贝对鳗弧菌的抗性显著相关。CfLysG基因第1内含子存在+96 I/D���+487 I/D���处大片段的I/D���态性。统计发现，这两个位点的基因型在敏感群体和抗病群体中的分布频率均符合Hardy-Weinberg 平衡（P>0.05）。其中+96 DD基因型和+487 ID基因型在抗病群体中的频率均略高于在敏感群体中的频率，但两者之间无显著性差异（P>0.05）。表明这两个位点的多态性与栉孔扇贝对鳗弧菌的抗性无显著相关性。对CfLysG基因各多态性位点的统计分析表明，各位点之间存在不同程度的连锁不平衡，提示有单体型的存在。对19种频率>1%的单体型在敏感群体及抗病群体中的频率进行分析，发现-753 I/-391 G/-284 I/+96 I/+487 D/+3473 A单体型在抗病群体中的频率显著高于敏感群体（P=0.044），表明该单体型与栉孔扇贝对鳗弧菌的抗性显著相关。 在栉孔扇贝CfC1qDC基因cDNA序列上共发现14处SNP。对+423 T/C多态性与栉孔扇贝对鳗弧菌抗性的关系进行了分析。统计发现，+423位点各基因型在敏感群体和抗病群体中的分布均符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡（P>0.05）。+423 TT基因型在抗病群体中的频率显著高于在敏感群体中的频率（P=0.005），表明+423 TT基因型与栉孔扇贝对鳗弧菌的抗性显著相关。 在栉孔扇贝CfLITAF基因cDNA序列中共发现3处SNP及1处I/D���态性。对+145 I/D���态性进行研究，发现所有敏感个体及抗病个体中均同时存在+145 位点所有等位基因，表明+145位点多态性与栉孔扇贝对鳗弧菌的抗性不相关。 以上研究表明，栉孔扇贝CfLysG基因-391 AG基因型、+3473 AA基因型、-753 I/-391 G/-284 I/+96 I/+487 D/+3473 A单体型以及CfC1qDC基因+423 TT基因型与栉孔扇贝对鳗弧菌的抗性显著相关，提示它们可作为与栉孔扇贝抗病相关的候选分子标记应用于贝类抗病育种中，为贝类的标记辅助育种提供参考。此外，抗病相关分子标记的发现还有利于加深对扇贝发病机理的理解，并有助于发掘预防及治疗贝类疾病的新方法。

白垩纪超静磁带地球磁场古强度测定

The long-term variations in the strength of the geomagnetic field provide important constraints on the chemical-physical processes of the Earth’s interior. Especially, the intensity of the geomagnetic field during the Cretaceous normal superchron (CNS) is crucial to understand the geodynamo. But a paucity of paleointensity further limits to obtain essential knowledge interior process in the deep earth. In order to improve the experimental efficiency, this study tried to apply two new rock magnetic methods (FORC diagram and low-temperature demagnetization technique) to determine the paleointensity. First, some problems in the theory and technique in paleointensity experiments were introduced. A combined palaeomagnetic and geochronologic study was further conducted on a basaltic lava sequence at Jianchang in Liaoning Province, northeastern China. Radiometric 40Ar/39Ar dating indicates that the volcanism occurred at about 119 Ma within the marine anomaly C34n in Cretaceous normal superchron (CNS). Rock magnetic investigations show that pseudo-single domain (PSD) titanium-poor titanomagnetite is dominant in the studied lava flows. Both stepwise thermal and alternating field demagnetizations isolate the well-defined normal characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) in three independent lava flows with a mean direction of D/I = 6.0/51.9 degree(a95 = 12.3degree). Palaeointensity was determined using the modified Thellier method with systematic partial thermoremanent magnetization (pTRM) checks on total 72 samples, but only 10 samples exhibit ideal linear behavior on the Arai-plot in the temperature interval of 300-560 C and yield an average paleointensity of (25.8+/-1.4)uT. In addition, slopes of the line defined by the initial and the final points on the Arai-plot for the other 18 samples with characteristic PSD features give an average paleointensity estimation value of (24.8+/-1.9)uT. The consistency of these two approaches confidently demonstrates the fidelity of our results. The overall mean field strength determined using both approaches are thus estimated to be (25.2+/-0.7 )uT. This value corresponds to the virtual dipole magnetic moments (VDM) of (4.5+/-0.1)E22 Am^2, which is about half of the value of present field. This finding suggests that palaeointensity just at the onset of the CNS is characterized by a weak magnetic field.

工程地质三维建模与可视化技术应用开发

Synthetic Geology Information System (SGIS) is an important constituent part of the theory of Engineering Geomechanics Mate-Synthetic (EGMS), and is the information system more suited for the collection, storage, management, analysis and processing to the information coming from engineering geology,' geological engineering and geotechnical engineering. Its contents involve various works and methods of the investigation, design, and construction in different stages of the geological engineering. Engineering geological and three-dimensional modeling and visualization is the fundamental part of the SGIS, and is a theory, method and technique by which, adopting the computer graphics and image processing techniques, the data derived from engineering geological survey and the calculated results obtained from the geomechanical numerical simulation and analysis are converted to the graphics and images displayed on the computer screen and can be processed interactively. In this paper, the significance and realizing approaches of the three-dimensional modeling and visualization for the complex geological mass in the engineering geology are discussed and the methods of taking advantage of the interpolation and fitting for the scattered and field-surveyed data to simulate the geological layers, such as the topography and earth surface, the groundwater table and the stratum boundary, are researched into. At the mean time, in mind the characteristics of the structure of the basic data for three-dimensional modeling, its visual management can be resolved into the engineering surveyed database management module, plot parameter management module and data output module and the requirement for basic data management can be fulfilled. In the paper, the establishment and development of the three-dimensional geological information system are probed tentatively, and an instance of three-dimensional visual Engineering Distribution Information System (EDIS), theConstruction Management Information System for an airport, in which the functions, such as the real-time browse among the three-dimensional virtual-reality landscapes of the airport construction from start to finish, the information query to the airport facility and the building in the housing district and the recording and playback of the animation sets for the browse and the takeoff and landing of the planes, is developed by applying the component-mode three-dimensional virtual-reality geological information system (GIS) software development kits (SDK), so the three-dimensional visual management platform is provided for the airport construction. Moreover, in the gaper, integrated with the three-dimensional topography visualization and its application in the Sichuan-Tibet Highways, the method of the digital elevation model (DEM) data collection from the topographic maps is described, and the three-dimensional visualization and the roaming about the terrain along the highway are achieved through computer language programming. Understanding to the important role played by the varied and unique topographical condition in the gestation and germination of the highly-dense, frequently-arising and severely-endangered geological hazards can be deepened.

碱性玄武岩中巨晶单斜辉石的矿物学特征、结晶和演化

本文样品产自辽宁宽甸黄椅山产出的巨晶单斜辉石。作者在一般矿物学、矿物谱学、晶体结构和晶体化学、结晶动力学和出熔结构等诸多方面对它们进行了较详实的研究。巨晶的矿物成分为铝质普通辉石。样品中可含不透明的硫化物包体、裂隙矿物和出溶相等杂质。绝大多数巨晶都具有不尽相同的反应边。除此以处，多项实验观察结果均表明巨晶内部的成分和结构基本均一。晶体结构修正结果表明，本文巨晶的晶体结构中出现了明显的M2晶位分裂，即分出了由较小阳离子占据的M2`位置。作者分析了该现象所蕴含的重要矿物学意义。单晶薄片红外光谱实验得到很有意义的结果：巨晶单斜辉石结构中含有OH。这种名义上不含水的矿物中的OH极有可能代表着地幔大部分地区水之储存方式，因此对深源或幔源无水矿物进行结构OH的研究具有重要意义。巨晶单斜辉石的穆斯堡尔谱出现四对双峰，此即所谓单斜辉石的“异常穆斯堡尔谱”。本文给出谱图归属，重点阐明CC'系由M1位置的Fe~(2+)的次邻近效应所致。作者得出关系式：M2分裂 → M1次邻近构型的多样化 → “异常 穆斯堡尔谱”，从而圆满解释了一直存在疑义的单斜辉石的“异常穆斯堡尔谱”的成因，此外，分析了Fe的结构态及穆斯堡尔谱的可用性。巨晶具有较高的Fe~(3+)/ΣFe反映其曾有一个相当氧化的结晶环境。应用火成岩中矿物的结晶动力学原理，本文首次对巨晶的结晶动力学及有关物理环境进行研究。通过对P与粘度η和扩散系数D���关系以及η与成核速率I���生长速率Y的关系的综合理论分析，本文证明：高压下η增大从而T和Y会减小，但变化的幅度不会超出一个数量级（就有关的压力范围）。根据硅酸盐熔体中成核理论，本文得出碱性玄武岩中主要硅酸盐矿物巨晶的成核次序（由早到晚）：Grt → Cpx → An。分析了熔体的运动及其对巨晶结晶的影响，并由此指出巨晶结晶环境的相对稳定。通过详细的光学显微观察、电子探针对TEM分析，作者确认碱性玄武岩中巨晶单斜辉石可以具有比较复杂的出溶结构。根据观察结果本文进行了全方位的讨论：解释了多种出溶相的共存、普通辉石出溶普通辉石（或透辉石）以及不同的出溶相尺寸。同时纠正了前人某些欠妥的认识，诠释了有关的疑惑。无论是出溶相的成分特征还是出溶相的尺寸都表明出溶事件延续了一段相当长的时间。出溶事件不一定只与一个滞留区有关。根据巨晶单斜辉石普遍具有反应边的事实，本文分析得出一些能够反映巨晶及其寄主岩浆演化的信息。

Influence of different neuroprotective drugs on dopamine neurotoxicity induced by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and MPTP in mice

Introduction: Parkinson‟s disease (PD) is characterized by a chronic progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons that is associated with chronic neuroinflammation. Current treatments for PD can significantly improve symptoms but do not cure the disease or slow its progression. An approach used in existing therapies is based on the inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO), enzyme involved in the metabolic degradation of dopamine. Although, preclinical studies showed that MAO-B inhibitors have neuroprotective activity in cellular and animal models of PD, clinical trials did not completely confirm this result. Therefore a large number of new molecules, with more potent MAO-B inhibitory activity and a possible neuroprotective effect, have been proposed to replace the pre-existing MAO-B inhibitors. The profile of the recent MAO inhibitor, SZV558, appears to be particularly interesting because of its pharmacodynamic, favorable for disease-modifying properties and its irreversible MAO-B enzyme bind. The enhancement of adult neurogenesis could be of great clinical interest in the management of neurodegenerative disorders. In line with this, the metformin, a well-known antidiabetic drug, has recently been proposed to promote neurogenesis and to have a neuroprotective effect on the neurodegenerative processes induced by the dopaminergic neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in a mice PD model. Although, PD has multiple origins, one hypothesis is that amphetamine-related drugs may be part of the wide array of factors leading to the dopaminergic neuron degeneration that causes the disease. These hypothesis are supported by different results that showed a persistent, long-term dopaminergic toxicity induced by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in mice. Moreover, the MDMA, altering the dopaminergic transmission, may affect neurogenesis and synaptogenesis. On these basis, considering that the young brain is particularly sensitive to drug-induced neurotoxicity, the consumption of MDMA during the adolescence might increase the vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons. However, the use of amphetamine-related drugs by adolescent and young people is often combined with caffeinated energy drinks in order to amplify their stimulant actions. Although caffeine use is safe, the combined treatment of caffeine and MDMA increases not only the DA release but also the microglia and astroglia activation. Aims: During my Ph.D. I studied the influence of neuroprotective drugs, such as MAO inhibitors and metformin, or substances, such as caffeine, on the neurodegenerative effects of two dopaminergic toxins, MDMA and MPTP, in mice. 1. In the first phase of my study, I evaluated the neuroprotective activity of the new MAO-B inhibitor SZV558, compared with well-known rasagiline, in a chronic mouse model of MPTP plus probenecid (MPTPp), which induces a progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. 2. Previous results showed that when MDMA is associated with caffeine, a more pronounced degeneration in adolescent compared with adult mice was observed. To better clarify the molecular mechanism at the base of the different neurotoxic effect of this drug association at different ages, I evaluated the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expression, which plays a critical role in the integration of dopaminergic and glutamatergic transmissions, in the CPu of adolescent or adult mice treated with MDMA, alone or in combination with caffeine. 3. Finally, I investigated the neuroprotective effect of metformin against dopaminergic neurotoxicity induced by MDMA in the CPu and SNc of adult mice. Conclusions: These results demonstrated that the dopaminergic neurodegenerative process may be induced or conditioned by environment stressors or substances which influence, through different ways, the development of neurodegenerative mechanisms. In the present study I evaluated the effects of 3 substances, known as potentially neuroprotective, in combination with two different neurotoxins that affect the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. The SZV558 MAO-B inhibitor and the metformin protected the nigrostriatal pathway, usually affected in PD, by MPTP- and MDMA- induced neurotoxicity, respectively. On the other hand, caffeine, administrated with MDMA, showed a neurotoxic potential depending on the age of consumers, confirming the vulnerability of adolescent brain to consumption of drug and substances that affected the dopaminergic system. In conclusion, the study of neurodegenerative processes may be relevant to understand the human pharmacology, the origin and development of neurodegenerative disease and to predict the neurotoxic effect of drug abuse.

Rapid detection method for microbial spoilage using FT-IR and machine learning

Ellis, D.I., Broadhurst, D., Rowland, J.J. and Goodacre, R. (2005) Rapid detection method for microbial spoilage using FT-IR and machine learning. In: Rapid Methods for Food and Feed Quality Determination, (Eds) van Amerongen, A., Barug, D and Lauwaars, M., Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, Netherlands, in press.

Rapid and quantitative detection of the microbial spoilage of meat by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and machine learning

Ellis, D. I., Broadhurst, D., Kell, D. B., Rowland, J. J., Goodacre, R. (2002). Rapid and quantitative detection of the microbial spoilage of meat by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and machine learning. ? Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 68, (6), 2822-2828 Sponsorship: BBSRC

Soil differentiation using fingerprint Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, chemometrics and genetic algorithm-based feature selection

Elliott, G. N., Worgan, H., Broadhurst, D. I., Draper, J. H., Scullion, J. (2007). Soil differentiation using fingerprint Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, chemometrics and genetic algorithm-based feature selection. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 39 (11), 2888-2896. Sponsorship: BBSRC / NERC RAE2008

La synchronie à lumi��re de la diachronie : quelques exemples

This article aims to give various examples that illustrate the use of a bipolar and joint perspective – diachronic and synchronic – for the semantic study of certain items of the language. We are initially interested in the adverb carrément, which currently seems to bear little relation to any meaning as an adverb of manner. Nevertheless, the diachronic study shows how the latter stages of its development with respect to its root carré pave the way for its becoming a polyphonic adverb. It is a similar case with apparemment: it has four clear stages of semantic development, each of which is related to the various values of this adverb in synchrony. However what is perhaps even more revealing is the diachronic approach in the case of the delocutive adverbs (diablement, bigrement, fichtrement...), whereby it might be seen that these elements can have no nominal or adjectival base, which is one of the criteria that helps to illustrate their origin.

Proper-motion binaries in the Hipparcos catalogue: comparison with radial velocity data

Context. This paper is the last in a series devoted to the analysis of the binary content of the Hipparcos Catalogue. Aims. The comparison of the proper motions constructed from positions spanning a short (Hipparcos) or long time (Tycho-2) makes it possible to uncover binaries with periods of the order of or somewhat larger than the short time span (in this case, the 3 yr duration of the Hipparcos mission), since the unrecognised orbital motion will then add to the proper motion. Methods. A list of candidate proper motion binaries is constructed from a carefully designed χ2 test evaluating the statistical significance of the difference between the Tycho-2 and Hipparcos proper motions for 103 134 stars in common between the two catalogues (excluding components of visual systems). Since similar lists of proper-motion binaries have already been constructed, the present paper focuses on the evaluation of the detection efficiency of proper-motion binaries, using different kinds of control data (mostly radial velocities). The detection rate for entries from the Ninth Catalogue of Spectroscopic Binary Orbits (SB9) is evaluated, as well as for stars like barium stars, which are known to be all binaries, and finally for spectroscopic binaries identified from radial velocity data in the Geneva-Copenhagen survey of F and G dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood. Results. Proper motion binaries are efficiently detected for systems with parallaxes in excess of ∼20 mas, and periods in the range 1000-30 000 d. The shortest periods in this range (1000-2000 d, i.e. once to twice the duration of the Hipparcos mission) may appear only as DMSA/G binaries (accelerated proper motion in the Hipparcos Double and Multiple System Annex). Proper motion binaries detected among SB9 systems having periods shorter than about 400 d hint at triple systems, the proper-motion binary involving a component with a longer orbital period. A list of 19 candidate triple systems is provided. Binaries suspected of having low-mass (brown-dwarf-like) companions are listed as well. Among the 37 barium stars with parallaxes larger than 5 mas, only 7 exhibit no evidence for duplicity whatsoever (be it spectroscopic or astrometric). Finally, the fraction of proper-motion binaries shows no significant variation among the various (regular) spectral classes, when due account is taken for the detection biases. © ESO 2007.

Factores asociados al éxito de una empresa seguidora dentro del mercado ecuatoriano de medicina veterinaria : estudio del caso CCLabs

La industria de medicina veterinaria en Ecuador ha crecido un 37 por ciento en los últimos 5 años, participando de la misma, laboratorios líderes y empresas seguidoras. El siguiente trabajo tiene como objetivo principal identificar los factores que inciden en el éxito de empresas seguidoras en el mercado de medicina veterinaria, a partir del estudio de caso CCLabs. Se basa en el marco teórico propuesto por Joskow, quien plantea que el abordaje de la nueva economía institucional se realiza a través de la vía del entorno institucional, la vía de la moderna organizaci��n industrial y por último la vía de las estructuras de gobernancia. La empresa CCLabs ha tenido un crecimiento superior al promedio del mercado, lo que ha sido posible dada la combinaci��n de una serie de factores relacionados a la evoluci��n del sector en que la empresa se desenvuelve y a la estrategia de la empresa. Con respecto al sector estos son: el crecimiento del mercado con un nivel de rivalidad moderado, así como el hecho de que las patentes de los productos de empresas líderes en I+D+i están vencidas y el creciente enforcement del marco regulatorio disminuyendo la competencia desleal. La empresa desarrolla distintas estrategias y desarrollo de canales comerciales que permiten reducir los costos de transacci��n.

Challenge of culture, conscience, and contract to general practitioners' care of their own health: qualitative study

Objective: To explore general practitioners' perceptions of the effects of their profession and training on their attitudes to illness in themselves and colleagues. Design: Qualitative study using focus groups and indepth interviews. Setting: Primary care in Northern Ireland. Participants: 27 general practitioners, including six recently appointed principals and six who also practised occupational medicine part time. Main outcome measures: Participants' views about their own and colleagues' health. Results: Participants were concerned about the current level of illness within the profession. They described their need to portray a healthy image to both patients and colleagues. This hindered acknowledgement of personal illness and engaging in health screening. Embarrassment in adopting the role of a patient and concerns about confidentiality also influenced their reactions to personal illness. Doctors' attitudes can impede their access to appropriate health care for themselves, their families, and their colleagues. A sense of conscience towards patients and colleagues and the working arrangements of the practice were cited as reasons for working through illness and expecting colleagues to do likewise. Conclusions: General practitioners perceive that their professional position and training adversely influence their attitudes to illness in themselves and their colleagues. Organisational changes within general practice, including revalidation, must take account of barriers experienced by general practitioners in accessing health care. Medical education and culture should strive to promote appropriate self care among doctors.