Abstract—As an essential branch of context awareness, activity awareness, especially daily activity monitoring and fall detection, is important to healthcare for the elderly and patients with chronic diseases. In this paper, a framework for activity awareness using surface electromyography and accelerometer (ACC) signals is proposed. First, histogram negative entropy was employed to determine…
Aim: To review and evaluate the efficacy of kidney-tonifying traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions (KT-TCMP) in hypoplastic uterus (HU) treatment. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure),WANFANG and VIP databases until 14 December 2013 independently with two investigators. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) involving KT-TCMP as …
Food security is a global concern and substantial yield increases in crops are required to feed the growing world population. Mutagenesis is an important tool in crop improvement and is free of the regulatory restrictions imposed on genetically modified organisms. Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes (TILLING), which combines traditional chemical mutagenesis with high‐throughput genome�…
To investigate the effect of low light (LL, 50% natural light) during grain filling (GF) stage on rice transamination, amino acid (AA) accumulation, nutritional value, and cooking quality in three different rice genotypes, transaminase activities and AA levels in grains during GF stage and the traits that significantly affected rice quality (physical appearance, cooking quality, and nutritional…
Physical literacy is a concept that is expected to encompass the mind and body in an integrated way to explain, promote, and help sustain human beings’ fundamental function: movement. According to Whitehead (2010), physical literacy is defined by motivation, especially by competence-based and interest-based motivation. This point of view is consistent with vast amount of research evidence on …
Salmonella Choleraesuis, S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium are the main pathogens that contaminate animal products and cause human Salmonellafood poisoning. To establish the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method for the rapid detection of Salmonella and 3 commonSalmonella serotypes, inner and outer primer sets targeting Salmonella invE gene and 3 serotype-specific genes fliC, lyg…
κ-Carrageenan was explored to improve genistein solubility by matrix retention. The corresponding maximum value in the efficiency of retention (Re) (50.48 mg/100 mg) was achieved when variables were set as: pH 4.76, temperature 52.12 ◦C and genistein concentration 0.27 mg/mL. The coefficient of determination (R2) of the response surface regression model presented in this study was 0.9848. Th…
Oyster-derived polysaccharides (OPS) have been shown to modulate the T helper (Th)1/Th2 immunobalance toward the Th1-dominant direction in antigen-primed splenocytes. In the present study, we hypothesized that OPS might attenuate intestinal inflammation associated with food allergy, a Th2-dominant immune disorder. BALB/c mice were sensitized twice with ovalbumin (OVA) absorbed to alum and then…
Newer statistical procedures are typically introduced to help address the limitations of those already in practice or to deal with emerging research needs. Quantile regression (QR) is introduced in this paper as a relatively new methodology, which is intended to overcome some of the limitations of least squares mean regression (LMR). QR is more appropriate when assumptions of normality and homo…
Abstract RFID technology is the popular technology in recent years and applies to many automatic identification applications such as supply chain management, thief-prevention and so on. Supply chain system with the help of RFID system reduces the cost in business operation. Different members in the supply chain connect to the same RFID tag for acquiring their own data. Members can protect …
Despite global progress in tobacco control, data are needed for subgroups with increased risk of tobacco use for more effective smoking prevention. Survey data from a random sample of 6,486 youth in grades 7, 8 and 9 were derived from the project Chinese Student Health Survey.Prevalence and hazards of smoking onset were compared by gender and immigrant status. Mediation analysis was used to ass…
Abstract Mg-Al-O-t-Bu hydrotalcite was synthesized and characterized by XRD, FT-IR and TGA-DTA. It was proved to be an active heterogeneous catalyst for the transesterification of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) with ethanol. When the reaction was carried out over Mg-Al-O-t-Bu hydrotalcite at 80 oC, 7 h, molar ratio of ethanol to DMC 5:1, 1.0 wt.% of catalyst, the conversion of DMC was 86.4%, the sel…
Abstract. The current–voltage characteristics of individual cup-stacked carbon nanotubes (CSCNTs) were investigated in situ inside the transmission electron microscope. Different from other quasi-1D carbon structures such as multi-walled carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers or graphitic fibers that normally behave as a metallic conductor of electrons, individual CSCNTs were found to exhib…
Abstract. The selective hydrogenation of nitrobenzene (NB) over Ni/y-Al2O3 catalysts was investigated using different media of dense phase CO2, ethanol, and n-hexane. In dense phase CO2, the total rate of NB hydrogenation was larger than that in organic solvents under similar reaction conditions; the selectivity to the desired product, aniline, was almost 100% over the whole conversion rang…
We present an endogenous growth model in which both the investmetit to develop a new technology—that upgrades the quality of machines—and entry of imitators are determined endogenously. According to the model, how soon the new-technology machine is launched after the patent is granted is influenced by two factors: returns to scale in technology development and "strategic delays." Strategic …
Abstract. The heat transfer effects on a methanol-steam reforming (MSR) process are numerically investigated using a circular reformer with a partially (referred to as the wall-coated reformer) or entirely filled catalyst layer (referred to as the packed-bed reformer). The catalyst layer is formed by packing CuO/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst particles with a certain porosity and permeability. The fluid f…
Abstract. Phosphate sorption capacities of 15 Chinese fly ashes were determined and related to their composition. The data of P sorption were best fitted to Langmuir equation, and the calculated sorption maxima of phosphate (Qm) ranged from 5.51 to 42.55 mg/g. The Qm value showed a significantly positive correlation with total Ca content (r = 0.9836**) and total Fe content (r = 0.8049**), but …
Abstract. The flow characteristics of monodisperse thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microspheres during the phase transition in microchannels with different surface wettabilities and roughnesses are investigated systematically. Glass microchannels are modified by hydroxylation treatment to achieve hydrophilic surface, by self-assembly of chlorotrimethylsilane to realiz…
Abstract. Clays intercalated with both organic cations and hydroxy-metal cations, also known as inorganic–organic clays (IOCs), have drawn great interests in the recent years because they possess the properties of both organoclays and pillared layered clays (PILCs). In this work, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTMAB) and hydroxy-aluminum ([Al13O4(OH)24(H2O)12]7+ or Al13) were selected a…
Abstract. Nitrogen doped mesoporous TiO2 was prepared via a modified two-step hydrothermal route. In contrast to undoped mesoporous TiO2, nitrogen doped mesoporous TiO2 has superior photocatalytic activity under both UV and visible light irradiation. Photoluminescence spectra reveal that nitrogen doped mesoporous TiO2 possesses abundant surface states, which can play a vital role in trappin…
Abstract. The preparation of honeycomb scaffold with hierarchical controllable porous structures is reported. The ABA three block amphiphilic copolymer PS-b-P(St-Alt-AMn)-b-PS was synthesized through reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) and subsequently self-assembled to core– corona nanoparticles with the middle block P(St-Alt-AMn) as the core and two si…
Abstract. Highly ordered honeycomb films are prepared by breath-figure method using an amphiphilic diblock copolymer of polystyrene-block-polyacrylic acid (PS-b-PAA). By simply cross-linking PS matrix via deep ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, both the solvent and thermal stability of the porous films was significantly improved while retaining the three-dimensional (3D) structures. The film sur…
Abstract. Two series of nitrogen doped TiO2 samples with different ratios of anatase to rutile phases were prepared by milling the mixture of P25 TiO2 and C6H12N4 in air and gaseous NH3 atmosphere, respectively. Compared to air, NH3 atmosphere plays an important role in delaying the crystallite transformation from anatase to rutile in the mechanochemical reaction of TiO2 and C6H12N4. In con…
Abstract. In order to develop a catalyst with high activity and stability for catalytic wet air oxidation of pollutant dyes at room condition, a new polyoxometalate Zn1.5PMo12O40 with nanotube structure was prepared using biological template. The structure and morphology were characterized using infrared (IR) spectra, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DR-UV–vis), elemental analyses, X…
Abstract. This paper, for the first time, reviews the development of the application of plasma catalysis, the combination of plasma and thermal catalysis, on hydrocarbon reforming for H2 generation. It has been experimentally demonstrated that this novel technique results in a synergistic effect, i.e., the performance achieved with plasma catalysis is better than the summation of plasma-alo…
Abstract ZnO/RGO (ZnO/Reduced Graphite Oxide) composites with sandwich structure (layered structure) were synthesized at relatively low temperature (60 C) using ZnSO4 and GO (Graphite Oxide) as precursors. Compared with pure ZnO, ZnO/RGO composites showed greatly enhanced-UV photocatalytic activity for the degradation of the organic dye methyl orange (MO). The structure and morphology of as-…
Abstract TiO2-SiO2 supports were prepared by various methods including precipitation, impregnation, hydrolysisreflux and sol–gel, and then cobalt was impregnated on those supports. The properties of various catalysts were characterized by N2 physisorption, XRD, XPS and TPR. The introduction of TiO2 led to stronger Co-support interaction, accompanying with the variation of dispersion and …
Abstract The influence of Ni2P loading on the properties of Ni2P/SiO2 catalysts was investigated by means of N2 adsorption–desorption, X-ray diffraction, H2 and NH3 temperature-programmed desorption, CO chemisorption, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and activity evaluation for the hydrodechlorization of chlorobenzene. It was found that increasing Ni2P loading resul…
Abstract Independent down-regulation of genes encoding p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase (C3H) and hydroxycinnamoyl CoA:shikimate/quinate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) has been previously shown to reduce the recalcitrance of alfalfa and thereby improve the release of fermentable sugars during enzymatic hydrolysis. In this study, ball-milled lignins were isolated from wild-type control, C3H, and…
Abstract The switchgrass variety Alamo has been chosen for genome sequencing, genetic breeding, and genetic engineering by the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and the US Department of Energy BioEnergy Science Center. Lignin has been considered as a major obstacle for cellulosic biofuel production from switchgrass biomass. The purpose of this study was to provide baseline…
Abstract NAM, ATAF, and CUC2 (NAC) proteins are encoded by one of the largest plant-specific transcription factor gene families. The functions of many NAC proteins relate to different aspects of lignocellulosic biomass production, and a small group of NAC transcription factors has been characterized as master regulators of plant cell wall development. In the present study, a total of 1,232 NA…
Extraordinary and stable long wavelength emission centered at 685 nm from the yard-glass shaped boron nitride nanotubes YG-BNNTs was observed in their cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The mechanism for this near-red light emission at 685 nm is attributed to the periodical nature of the BNNT units with regular lattice defects. The visible-light emission from YG-B…
A series of low-molecular-mass organogelators (LMOGs), dimeric dendrons based on natural amino acids, glycine. and aspartic acid, with different aliphatic spacers have been synthesized and their selfassembly behavior and structure-property relationship have been studied. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and small-angle X-ray s…
Application of functionalized coordination polymers as self-supported catalysts in heterogeneous catalytic reactions is an emerging area of research and has met with some notable success. The molecular building units of the catalysts are tailorable in nature, allowing for systematic engineering of the catalytic performance. The catalysts have demonstrated high efficiency and/or excellent select…
Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) were proposed for the first time as a new type of biofuel. In this paper, poly-R-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and medium chain length PHA (mcl PHA) were, respectively, esterified to become R-3-hydroxybutyrate methyl ester (3HBME) and medium chain length hydroxyalkanoate methyl ester (3HAME) via acid-catalyzed hydrolysis. The recovery percentages of 3HBME and 3H…
Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) were proposed for the first time as a new type of biofuel. In this paper, poly-R-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and medium chain length PHA (mcl PHA) were, respectively, esterified to become R-3-hydroxybutyrate methyl ester (3HBME) and medium chain length hydroxyalkanoate methyl ester (3HAME) via acid-catalyzed hydrolysis. The recovery percentages of 3HBME and 3H…
ABSTRACT We report gas and liquid transport measurements through membranes that have 40% voids made of 14 nm pores. A reactive polylactide-polynorbornenylethylstyrene block polymer is used as a structural template in the polymerization of dicyclopentadiene during the membrane formation process. After the membrane is cast, the pore structure is formed by etching the polylactide component using…
Feitsui reservoir, the major water supply of Taipei city, has shown declining water quality in recent years. The reservoir is located in an area famous for tea cultivation, and the question arises as to whether the hillside tea plantations have contributed to increased sediment and nutrient discharge into the reservoir. In this study, soil and phosphorus redistribution were examined along a …
Aims.Understanding the response of farmland weed community assembly to fertilization is important for designing better nutrient management strategies in integrated farmland ecological systems. Many studies have focused on weed characteristics, mainly crop–weed competition responses to fertilization or weed communities alone.However, weed community assembly in association with crop growth is p…
Existing studies show that biofuels offer the potential for providing energy security and GHG mitigation, particularly with the development of cellulosic biofuel technologies, even after market-mediated effects are incorporated. The economic benefits with biofuel policies, arising due to the improvement in terms of trade for the United States, could, however,be several times larger than thes…
Auxin-like 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), a high-efficiency anti-stalling agent for the post-harvest fresh fruit industry, has had its use restricted due to environmental concerns. However, no other substitutes for 2,4-D are available to the post-harvest industry. Insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of 2,4-D on fruit quality preservation will provide a theoreti…