Influence of alkaline treatment and fiber loading on the physical and mechanical properties of kenaf/polypropylene composites for variety of applications

Due to current trend and increasing interest towards natural based fiber products, Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) fibers have been used for the developments of many products. Therefore, Kenaf fiber-reinforced composites have been widely used in engineering and industrial applications. The present work deals with the fabricating and characterization of untreated and treated kenaf/polypropylene (PP)-reinforced composites. Composites of PP reinforced with treated and untreated kenaf fibers were fabricated using the injection molding technique. Different fiber loadings of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 wt% treated and untreated kenaf composites were also prepared. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) were performed on the treated, untreated kenaf fibers and kenaf/PP composites. Moreover, the alkaline-treated kenaf composites exhibit better physical, morphological, and mechanical properties because of the compatibility of kenaf with PP. However, variations in tensile and flexural properties depend on treatment and kenaf fiber contents. The percentage increase in the mechanical properties of the treated kenaf/PP composites relative to that of PP was also measured. In addition, 40 wt% kenaf fiber loading resulted in higher mechanical properties. By contrast, kenaf/PP composite with 50% fiber loading was not successfully prepared because of improper mixing and the burning of kenaf fibers in the PP matrix. To conclude, 40% kenaf/PP composites with superior physical and mechanical properties may be used in variety of applications such as automotive, sports, construction, animal bedding, and mass production industries.     

Neighborhood topological effect on grain topology-size relationship in three-dimensional polycrystalline microstructures

A new grain topology-size relationship in three-dimensional(3D)polycrystalline microstructures has recently been established by considering the effects of non-random first nearest neighbor grains.In this contribution,a generalized form for this relationship is presented by considering the interactions of kth(k=1,2,3…)nearest neighbor grains,and large scale Monte Carlo-Potts model simulation is used to investigate the general neighborhood topological effect on the topology-size relationship.The results show that,unlike their first nearest neighbors(k=1),the topological correlations of 3D grains with their kth layers(k 2)of nearest-neighbors may have trivial effect on the topology-size relationship.     

增塑剂和乳化剂对乙基纤维素水分散体制备的影响

用相转变法制备乙基纤维素水分散体,研究结果表明,随着乳化剂用量的增加,水分散体的粒径和粘度均呈先下降后减小的趋势。固化速率随着增塑剂含量的增加而下降。     

基于径向基函数网络的强化学习在机器人足球中的研究

与监督学习从范例中学习的方式不同，强化学习不需要先验知识，而是具有从经验中学习的能力，将强化学习应用在大状态空间中，必须应用函数逼近的方法，如使用径向基函数网络建立输入和输出的映射关系。本文对基于径向基函数网络的强化学习在机器人足球这样的动态的多智能体环境中的应用进行了研究。实验结果证明了研究方法的可行性。     

Mapping copy number variation by population-scale genome sequencing

Genomic structural variants (SVs) are abundant in humans, differing from other forms of variation in extent, origin and functional impact. Despite progress in SV characterization, the nucleotide resolution architecture of most SVs remains unknown. We constructed a map of unbalanced SVs (that is, copy number variants) based on whole genome DNA sequencing data from 185 human genomes, integrating evidence from complementary SV discovery approaches with extensive experimental validations. Our map encompassed 22,025 deletions and 6,000 additional SVs, including insertions and tandem duplications. Most SVs (53%) were mapped to nucleotide resolution, which facilitated analysing their origin and functional impact. We examined numerous whole and partial gene deletions with a genotyping approach and observed a depletion of gene disruptions amongst high frequency deletions. Furthermore, we observed differences in the size spectra of SVs originating from distinct formation mechanisms, and constructed a map of SV hotspots formed by common mechanisms. Our analytical framework and SV map serves as a resource for sequencing-based association studies.     

Microtubule associated protein tau binds to double-stranded but not single-stranded DNA

Tau, a major microtubule-associated protein of the neuron, which is known to promote the assembly of and to stabilize microtubules, has also been seen associated with chromatin in neuronal cell lines, but its role in this subcellular compartment is still unknown. In this study, the binding of tau to DNA was investigated using the electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Using polynucleotide as probe, we found that tau bound to double-stranded but not to single-stranded DNA. Formation of tau-polynucleotide complex was disrupted by alkaline pH and a high concentration of NaCl, but was not affected by dithiothreitol. Electron microscopy revealed that the protein associated with the nucleic acid in a necklacelike manner. DNA-cellulose chromatography and radioimmunodot-blot analyses showed that calf thymus histones VI-S, VII-S and VIII-S could replace both recombinant human brain tau₃₅₂ (tau-23) and tau₄₄₁ (tau-40) from DNA. Thus, tau appears to bind to DNA reversibly in the presence of histones. Received 24 November 2002; received after revision 28 December 2002; accepted 30 December 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author.     

增塑剂和乳化剂对乙基纤维素水分散体制备的影响

用相转变法制备乙基纤维素水分散体，研究结果表明，随着乳化剂用量的增加，水分散体的粒径和粘度均呈先下降后减小的趋势。固化速率随着增塑剂含量的增加而下降。     

Improvements in Introductory Programming Course: Action Research Insights and Outcomes

Programming is a rewarding and yet demanding field in the ICT labormarket, but it is considered a challenging and difficult area of learning for significant numbers of novice programmers. As a result, high attrition rates from introductory programming (IP) courses are reported despite extensive research which attempts to address the issue. In this research, an action research methodology was used with three cycles to investigate and improve the teaching and learning process of the IP course. There were nine activities performed during the span of these three cycles. All three entities of the didactic triangle (student, instructor, and content) together with learning context were incorporated into the research design to understand the problem better and execute the proposed solution. The result shows that three cycles of the action research methodology helps in understanding and improving the students learning outcomes in the IP course. Moreover, the attrition rate was also reduced in the IP course.     

The role of Tet3 DNA dioxygenase in epigenetic reprogramming by oocytes

Sperm and eggs carry distinctive epigenetic modifications that are adjusted by reprogramming after fertilization. The paternal genome in a zygote undergoes active DNA demethylation before the first mitosis. The biological significance and mechanisms of this paternal epigenome remodelling have remained unclear. Here we report that, within mouse zygotes, oxidation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) occurs on the paternal genome, changing 5mC into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). Furthermore, we demonstrate that the dioxygenase Tet3 (ref. 5) is enriched specifically in the male pronucleus. In Tet3-deficient zygotes from conditional knockout mice, paternal-genome conversion of 5mC into 5hmC fails to occur and the level of 5mC remains constant. Deficiency of Tet3 also impedes the demethylation process of the paternal Oct4 and Nanog genes and delays the subsequent activation of a paternally derived Oct4 transgene in early embryos. Female mice depleted of Tet3 in the germ line show severely reduced fecundity and their heterozygous mutant offspring lacking maternal Tet3 suffer an increased incidence of developmental failure. Oocytes lacking Tet3 also seem to have a reduced ability to reprogram the injected nuclei from somatic cells. Therefore, Tet3-mediated DNA hydroxylation is involved in epigenetic reprogramming of the zygotic paternal DNA following natural fertilization and may also contribute to somatic cell nuclear reprogramming during animal cloning.