[en] In this paper, we extend the algebraic method proposed by Fan (Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 20 (2004) 609) and the improved extended tanh method by Yomba (Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 20 (2004) 1135) to uniformly construct a series of soliton-like solutions and double-like periodic solutions for nonlinear partial differential equations (NPDE). Some new soliton-like solutions and double-like periodic solutions of a (2 + 1)-dimensional dispersive long wave equation are obtained

[en] Highlights: • A two-dimensional steady-state heat and mass transfer mathematical model is established. • A method of calculating the enthalpy of lithium chloride solution is proposed. • The fitted correlations for heat and mass transfer are obtained. • The diffusion coefficient is modified with the ΔPair to accord with the real situation in dehumidification. • Joint surface renewal rate is proposed for describing the relative motion of the fluids. - Abstract: A two-dimensional steady-state heat and mass transfer mathematical model is established to study the performances of air-to-liquid dehumidifier with PVDF ultrafiltration membrane in liquid desiccant dehumidification in this paper. Terms in this mathematical model are amended with experimental data and improved with the method of calculating enthalpy of lithium chloride solution. The mean Nusselt number in air channel and mean Sherwood number are calculated and the correlations are fitted with the relevant quantities for predicting the heat and mass transfer coefficients. Furthermore, the corresponding heat and mass transfer coefficients are obtained and substituted as initial conditions into the mathematical model. Meanwhile, according to the relationship between the moisture content difference and water vapor partial pressure difference between inlet and outlet on air side, the diffusion coefficient is modified to meet the actual situation of the experiment. Joint surface renewal rate is proposed and regarded as a comprehensive index describing the relative motion of the fluids on both sides in the membrane dehumidification process. After analyzing the influences of controlled variables on mass transfer coefficient divided by density, the conclusion is obtained that the variable solution temperature group is inferior to the variable solution concentration group. The importance of maintaining low solution temperature during the dehumidification process is emphasized.

[en] The following problems regarding the ESR dating of fossil enamel samples from palaeo-anthropological and Palaeolithic sites of Early Pleistocene are discussed: 1) the applicability of exponential fitting in the additive method for reliable AD determination; 2) the thermo-stability of the g = 2.0018 line of hydroxyapatite and its influence on apparent ESR ages; 3) the right selection of U-uptake models; and 4) the effect of high U-content in enamel on the ESR ages. It is concluded that the ESR-EU ages of Early Pleistocene enamel samples can only be regarded as the lower limit of the true ages if no appropriate corrections for the factors discussed above are made

[en] Docetaxel efficiency in the therapy of prostate cancer (PCa) patients is limited due to the development of chemoresistance. Recent studies have implied a role of INPP4B in tumor chemoresistance, while the effects of INPP4B on docetaxel resistance in PCa have not been elucidated. In the present study, the docetaxel-resistant human PCa cell lines PC3-DR and DU-145-DR were established from the parental cell lines PC3 and DU-145, and the expression and role of INPP4B in docetaxel-resistant PCa cells were investigated. The results demonstrated that INPP4B expression was significantly downregulated in docetaxel-resistant cells. Overexpression of INPP4B increased the sensitivity to docetaxel and promoted cell apoptosis in PC3-DR and DU-145-DR cells. In addition, INPP4B overexpression downregulated the expression of the mesenchymal markers fibronectin, N-cadherin, and vimentin, and upregulated the expression level of the epithelial maker E-cadherin. Furthermore, INPP4B overexpression markedly inhibited the PI3K/Akt pathway. We also found that IGF-1, the inhibitor of PI3K/Akt, markedly blocked the change in EMT markers induced by overexpression of INPP4B, and reversed the resistance of PC3-DR and DU-145-DR cells to docetaxel, which is sensitized by Flag-INPP4B. In summary, the presented data indicate that INPP4B is crucial for docetaxel-resistant PCa cell survival, potentially by regulating EMT through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. - Highlights: • INPP4B is downregulated in docetaxel-resistant PCa cells. • INPP4B inhibits cell proliferation. • INPP4B induces cell apoptosis. • INPP4B inhibits PCa cell EMT.

[en] The isothermal annealing experiments on synthetic hydroxyapatite and fossil tooth enamel samples show that the decay of its g = 2.0018 line obeys the mixed first-and second-order annealing kinetics. The 2nd-order decay constant depends strongly on temperature and is roughly estimated to be about 10^-19 g/s for hydroxyapatite at 280 degree C. The effect of the 2nd-order annealing kinetics on ESR dating of ancient (early Pleistocene) fossil tooth enamel samples should be further studied

[en] The general analytical expression of the stochastic electromagnetic vortex beams through turbulent biological tissues is derived based on the fractal model. The statistical properties, including the spectral density, the spectral degree of coherence and the spectral degree of polarization are investigated in detail. It can be found that the normalized spectral density of the stochastic electromagnetic vortex beams with higher topological charge is less influenced by turbulence than that with lower topological charge. In addition, the change of the degree of polarization versus propagation distance of the anisotropic vortex beams in biological tissues differs from that of the isotropic vortex beams. The findings might be useful in the investigation of the structures of biological tissues and operation of communication and sensing systems involving biological tissues turbulence channels.

[en] The authors described a non-vial device and its solid scintillation counting technique for measurement of radiolabeled compounds useful in bioresearch. ³H and ¹⁴C can be measured with counting efficiency of 22.3% and 70.9%, respectively. A 100 μl of scintillation solution was added to each solid sample. The counting efficiencies for ³H, ¹⁴C are 51.7% and 90.2%. The technique provides great advantages such as the elimination of a large volume of scintillation solution and little radioactive waste material by using a non-vial device instead of the conceptional counting vial

[en] Effects of some scintillating solutes and solvents on counting efficiency for ³H and ¹⁴C were presented

No abstract available

[en] The procedure for determination of ²³⁵U and ²³⁸U in soil by alpha spectrometry was developed. Several steps involved in this procedure are as follows: conversion of uranium associated with the matrix into acid-soluble form, radiochemical separation of uranium from the components of the sample and other radionuclides, purification of uranium and preparation of the source for measurement. The real separation and purification were preformed by selective anion exchange resin. The results show that the recoveries are relatively high and stable. (authors)