[en] We have recently demonstrated that the mitral valve anterior leaflet (MVAL) exhibited minimal hysteresis, no strain rate sensitivity, stress relaxation but not creep (Grashow et al., 2006, Ann Biomed Eng., 34(2), pp. 315-325; Grashow et al., 2006, Ann Biomed. Eng., 34(10), pp. 1509-1518). However, the underlying structural basis for this unique quasi-elastic mechanical behavior is presently unknown. As collagen is the major structural component of the MVAL, we investigated the relation between collagen fibril kinematics (rotation and stretch) and tissue-level mechanical properties in the MVAL under biaxial loading using small angle X-ray scattering. A novel device was developed and utilized to perform simultaneous measurements of tissue level forces and strain under a planar biaxial loading state. Collagen fibril D-period strain (ε_D) and the fibrillar angular distribution were measured under equibiaxial tension, creep, and stress relaxation to a peak tension of 90 N/m. Results indicated that, under equibiaxial tension, collagen fibril straining did not initiate until the end of the nonlinear region of the tissue-level stress-strain curve. At higher tissue tension levels, ε_D increased linearly with increasing tension. Changes in the angular distribution of the collagen fibrils mainly occurred in the tissue toe region. Using ε_D, the tangent modulus of collagen fibrils was estimated to be 95.5±25.5 MPa, which was ∼27 times higher than the tissue tensile tangent modulus of 3.58±1.83 MPa. In creep tests performed at 90 N/m equibiaxial tension for 60 min, both tissue strain and D remained constant with no observable changes over the test length. In contrast, in stress relaxation tests performed for 90 min ε_D was found to rapidly decrease in the first 10 min followed by a slower decay rate for the remainder of the test. Using a single exponential model, the time constant for the reduction in collagen fibril strain was 8.3 min, which was smaller than the tissue-level stress relaxation time constants of 22.0 and 16.9 min in the circumferential and radial directions, respectively. Moreover, there was no change in the fibril angular distribution under both creep and stress relaxation over the test period. Our results suggest that (1) the MVAL collagen fibrils do not exhibit intrinsic viscoelastic behavior, (2) tissue relaxation results from the removal of stress from the fibrils, possibly by a slipping mechanism modulated by noncollagenous components (e.g. proteoglycans), and (3) the lack of creep but the occurrence of stress relaxation suggests a 'load-locking' behavior under maintained loading conditions. These unique mechanical characteristics are likely necessary for normal valvular function

[en] Due to their physical properties (viscosity, density), the alternative frac fluids mentioned above present some technical challenges, such as high pressures at the wellhead. In this project, different scenarios are to be simulated on a case study in order to verify the feasibility for German tight gas deposits and to optimise the processes. The use of water-based frac fluids has a long history. Their disadvantages become more and more obvious as the development of tight gas formations progresses. The main problem is the slow flow-back, which allows the support fluid to settle. The solution to these problems is to replace the water-based frac-fluids with alternative frac-fluids, such as liquid gas (CO${}_2$, N${}_2$), LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas e.g. propane or butane), foam, energised fluids, methanol or emulsions. Although these alternative frac fluids have different properties, they have in common the use of gas as the main component of the frac fluid. Gas usually has a low viscosity and a high expansion capability, so that the frac closure can be accelerated and the lowering of the supporting fluid can be prevented.

[en] Westinghouse realistic or best-estimate Large Break LOCA methodology is based on the use of the WCOBRA/TRAC code. The methodology was approved in its original form approved by the USNRC in 1996 and in revised from with an improved statistical treatment of the uncertainties (ASTRUM) in 2004. Since then Westinghouse has performed Best Estimate Large Break LOCA safety analyses for PWRs for more than a decade now. Westinghouse is now extending the code applicability to smaller break sizes such that the same code can be applied to a full spectrum of LOCA, from small to intermediate break as well as large break LOCAs. In the new version of the code, the TRAC-PD2 formulation has been replaced by the JD module of TJL4C-PF1/MOD2 code, while the 3D module remains based on the COBRA-TF formulation. The main d is that TRAC-PFJ is based on a two-fluid with non-condensable transport (7- equation) formulation which is more appropriate to describe loop phenomena during a Small Break LOCA scenario, especially when a characterization of separated flow in the loop is required The original TRAC-PFJ flow regime map has been significantly improved by Westinghouse in the new code. The simplistic horizontally stratified flow regime criterion was replaced with more physically based mod criterion. Also the modeling of the wavy-dispersed flow regime was included. This paper provides an overview of the horizontal flow regime map and the rational used to address scalability and applicability concerns. The horizontal flow regime was assessed against ROSA JV-TPTF test data. Results from the assessment are provided. (authors)

[en] Floral ontogeny of Jatropha multifida L. and Jatropha integerrima Jacq. (Euphorbiaceae) was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These two species possess unisexual male flowers and bisexual (with unfunctional staminodes) female flowers. In both male and female flowers, five sepal primordia arise in a 2/5 sequence on the periphery of the floral apex and initiate anticlockwise or clockwise in different floral buds. Five petal primordia initiate simultaneously alternate to sepals. Dicyclic stamens (obdiplostemony) arise in both male and female flowers. In J. multifida, five outer stamen primordia arise first simultaneously and then three inner stamens initiate simultaneously. However, in J. integerrima, ten stamen primordia arranged in two whorls initiate simultaneously. While the ovary is absent in the male flowers, in the female flowers, three carpel primordia appear simultaneously. With further development of the ovary the stamens degenerate in the female flowers, whereas in the male flowers, the stamens grow normally. Ancestral state reconstruction using MacClade indicates that stamen simultaneous vs. non-simultaneous initiation supports the phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS sequence. (author)

[en] An immunodipstick assay with a lateral flow strip was developed for fast screening of food for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) using the respective monoclonal antibody immobilized on nanoparticles with a silver core and a gold shell (AgAu) as detection reagent. The membrane-based immunodipstick consisted of a test line containing AFB1 conjugated to bovine serum albumin, and a control line with goat anti-mouse IgG. One to two colored lines are formed on the membrane by using the red AgAu nanoparticles coated with anti-AFB1 as signaling reagents. Under optimal conditions, the dipstick exhibits a lower visual detection limit of 0. 1 ng mL^-1 of AFB1. Compared to the use of pure gold nanoparticles, the AgAu nanoparticles strongly enhance the sensitivity of the assay, and the reproducibility and stability are comparable. The assay was evaluated with naturally contaminated samples including rice, wheat, sunflower, cotton, chillies, and almonds, and a good correlation was found with data obtained with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The simple and non-instrumental dipstick method may further be extended to the screening of other mycotoxins in food. (author)

[en] In this paper, we propose an optical scheme to almost completely teleport a two-mode four-component entangled coherent state in terms of optical devices such as nonlinear Kerr media, beam splitters, phase shifters and photon detectors. Different from those previous schemes in which exact photon number discrimination is needed, in our scheme one only needs to make 'yes' and 'no' measurements upon the photon numbers in related modes. This scheme can also be understood as an entanglement swapping protocol

[en] We propose a scheme to generate entangled coherent states (ECSs) of two microwave cavity fields coupling to a SQUID-based Cooper pair box (CPB) charge qubit by extending the single-cavity model of coupling between a single microcavity and a CPB charge qubit proposed by Liu et al (2005 Phys. Rev. A 71 063820). We show that by measuring the states of the CPB charge qubit, ECSs of the two cavity fields can be generated with a controllable interaction between the cavities and the CPB charge qubit

[en] Objective: To construct a prognostic model using artificial neural network (ANN) approach, providing an idea for the prediction and diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Study Design: Experimental study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of General Surgery, Zhenjiang Hospital, Zhenjiang Province, China, between January and March 2022. Methodology: Available datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to construct the train cohort and the test cohort of CCA, and screened out the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of CCA. Next, an ANN model for CCA diagnosis was constructed based on the scores of the DEGs and evaluated its accuracy and efficiency using ROC curves. Finally, the immune infiltration and the function of extracellular matrix (ECM) protein SPACRL1 were analysed to reveal the characteristic alterations in CCA. Results: This analysis revealed 166 DEGs, mainly concentrated in the ECM organisation, neutrophil activation and other pathways. Then a set of 17 CCA disease signature genes scores were obtained to build an ANN prediction model and the ROC curve was plotted. The AUC in the train group (0.980) indicated that the accuracy of the diagnosis model is extremely high. Finally, there was a significant increase of B cells naïve (p=0.025), tregs (p=0.004), and macrophages M1 (p<0.001) in the tumour-microenvironment of CCA, while SPARCL1 was a protective factor on disease-specific survival (DSS) in CCA (p=0.009). Conclusion: This study has developed an accurate prediction model for CCA diagnosis, and identified SPARCL1 as pivotal factor in CCA by modulating the tumour immune-microenvironment. (author)

[en] This paper presents a hands-on introduction to revisiting a Geant simulated event by a unique pair of seeds numbers. The revisiting can be achieved in two steps: in the first step, for every event, we assign a pair of numbers as two seeds numbers of a random engine of Geant, "RanecuEngine", and save the two seeds numbers into a Ntuple. In the second step, for an interesting event, we revisit it by re-assigning the two seeds numbers of the event to the "RanecuEngine" and run the same simulative scripts again. This way, we can re-access all info of the interesting event, including the trajectory of the event if visualization is feasible on the machine. As an example, we show in details how to apply the technique to visualize interesting events on a local PC for a large-scale Geant simulation accomplished on a High Performance Computer (HPC) cluster at Brown University.

[en] Intergranular precipitation behavior of 316 and 316L stainless steels after annealing at 600 - 900degC for 5 min - 50 hrs were examined using transmission electron microscopy of carbon extraction replicas and thin foil techniques. Precipitated particles were identified by electron diffraction analysis. Chemical compositions of precipitated particles were measured from EDX - spectra by a semiquantitative method. When 316 steel was annealed at 750 - 850degC for 15 min or longer, only M₂₃C₆ carbide was identified at grain boundaries. For 316L steel, however, three kinds of particles, i.e. Laves phase, M₂₃C₆ and a quasicrystal, were precipitated at the grain boundaries when annealed at 700 - 800degC for 10 hrs or longer. Most of the precipitated particles at grain boundaries of annealed 316L steel were Laves phase. M₂₃C₆ precipitation caused Cr depletion at grain boundaries of the annealed 316 steel, but the formation of Laves phase did not induce the Cr depletion at grain boundaries of annealed 316L steel. Although no Cr depletion occurred, the grain boundaries of annealed 316L steel were attacked in Oxalic acid etch tests and Strauss tests, probably because of electrical potential difference between the Laves phases and matrix, and/or low Cr contents in Laves phases. After single-pass welding with cooling rates higher than 0.07degC/s, the weld HAZs of both 316 and 316L seem to be free of sensitivity to intergranular attack. (author)