RNA interference-mediated inhibition of Hepatitis B Virus replication

Persistent and recurrent infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) represents one of the most common and severe viral infections of humans, and has caused a formidable health problem in the affected countries. Currently used antiviral drugs have a very limited success on controlling HBV replication and infection. RNA interference (RNAi), a process by which double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) directs sequence-specific degradation of target mRNA in mammalian and plant cells, has recently been used to knockdown gene expression in various species. In this study, we sought to determine whether RNAi-mediated silencing of HBV viral gene expression could lead to the effective inhibition of HBV replication. We first developed RNAi vectors that expressed small interfering RNA (siRNA) and targeted the HBV core or surface gene sequence. Our results demonstrated that these specific siRNAs efficiently reduced the levels of corresponding viral RNAs and proteins, and thus suppressed viral replication. Treatment with siRNA gave the greatest reduction in the levels of HBsAg (92%) and in HBeAg (85%) respectively in the cultured cell medium. Our findings further demonstrated that the RNAi-mediated antiviral effect was sequence-specific and dose-dependent. Therefore, our findings strongly suggest that RNAi-mediated silencing of HBV viral genes could effectively inhibit the replication of HBV, hence RNAi-based strategy should be further explored as a more efficacious antiviral therapy of HBV infection.     

A photovoltaic device structure based on internal electron emission

There has been an active search for cost-effective photovoltaic devices since the development of the first solar cells in the 1950s (refs 1-3). In conventional solid-state solar cells, electron-hole pairs are created by light absorption in a semiconductor, with charge separation and collection accomplished under the influence of electric fields within the semiconductor. Here we report a multilayer photovoltaic device structure in which photon absorption instead occurs in photoreceptors deposited on the surface of an ultrathin metal-semiconductor junction Schottky diode. Photoexcited electrons are transferred to the metal and travel ballistically to--and over--the Schottky barrier, so providing the photocurrent output. Low-energy (approximately 1 eV) electrons have surprisingly long ballistic path lengths in noble metals, allowing a large fraction of the electrons to be collected. Unlike conventional cells, the semiconductor in this device serves only for majority charge transport and separation. Devices fabricated using a fluorescein photoreceptor on an Au/TiO2/Ti multilayer structure had typical open-circuit photovoltages of 600-800 mV and short-circuit photocurrents of 10-18 micro A cm(-2) under 100 mW cm(-2) visible band illumination: the internal quantum efficiency (electrons measured per photon absorbed) was 10 per cent. This alternative approach to photovoltaic energy conversion might provide the basis for durable low-cost solar cells using a variety of materials.     

多台系统异步可靠性增长模型及其统计分析

在各单台系统Weibull过程的可靠性增长假设条件下,建立了一种多台系统异步可靠性增长模型,并给出了可靠性增长试验数据的统计分析方法,包括模型参数的点估计、区间估计、系统MTBF估计、增长趋势检验及模型拟合优度检验等.较好地解决了不同步可靠性增长试验数据的统计分析问题.     

曲线坐标系下哈密顿体系的建立

在任意曲线坐标系下建立了曲六面体区域的哈密顿体系，扩大了哈密顿体系的适用范围，并使系统方程具备了处理任意复杂边界条件的能力。     

白云石晶体的有序度与去白云石化反应

评价了不同结构组分类别岩石中白云石晶体的有序度,并通过研究在悬浮分散体系中具有不同有序度的白云石晶体去白云石化反应的动力学行为,建立了白云石有序度与白云石去白云石化反应活性之间的关系。结果表明,泥晶白云岩中白云石晶体的有序度最低;白云质泥晶灰岩、泥质条带白云质泥晶灰岩、白云质粉屑砂屑泥晶灰岩及白云质亮晶鲕粒灰岩中的白云石晶体的有序度次之;豹斑白云质泥晶灰岩、粉晶以上晶粒白云岩中的白云石为近完全有序或完全有序。有序度低的白云石晶体去白云石化反应的扩散活化能、界面化学反应活化能和晶体成核与生长活化能也低,低有序度的白云石具有高的反应性。随着体系温度的升高,白云石晶体有序度对去白云石化反应的影响趋于减小,不同有序度白云石的去白云石化程度趋于相同。     

(Ba1-xSrx)TiO3介电常数与温度、频率的关系

分析了影响(Ba1-xSrx)TiO3陶瓷材料介电特性的诸因素，从温度依赖、频率响应两个方面，对BST陶瓷材料的介电常数进行了研究．在进行频率特性的测试中，选取x=0．35的BST、材料，即(Ba0.65Sr0.35)TiO3，测得不同晶粒度下的介电常数随频率的变化曲线．在进行温度特性的测试中，测量了不同晶粒度的BST材料介电常数与温度变化的关系，并绘制了关系曲线．     

高分辨雷达目标的RELAX与MRELAX参数特征

用RELAX算法和改进的MRELAX算法对实测雷达数据分别进行处理,从高分辨雷达回波距离像中提取目标特征参数并进行比较分析.仿真实验证明,用MRELAX算法对高分辨雷达目标数据进行处理与用RELAX算法处理的结果比较,MRELAX算法得到了更加清晰的目标特征.     

Exploration of TCM Masters Knowledge Mining

Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has a rich knowledge about human health and disease by its special way evolved along a very long history. As modern medicine is achieving much progress, arguments and disputes toward TCM never end. To avoid losing precious knowledge of living TCM masters, endeavors have been engaged to systematic collection of those knowledge of TCM masters, such as their growth experiences, effective practical cases toward diseases and typical therapeutic principles and methods. Knowledge mining methods have been expected to explore some useful or hidden patterns to unveil some mysteries of the TCM system. In the paper, some computerized methods are applied toward those collected materials about some living TCM masters in China mainland to show a different way of exposing essential ideas of those TCM masters by correspondence visualization which aims to help people understand TCM holistic views toward disease and body, and facilitate tacit knowledge transfer and sense-making of the essence of TCM. The work is one kind of qualitative meta-synthesis of TCM masters＇ knowledge.     

Data association based on target signal classification information

In most of the passive tracking systems, only the target kinematical information is used in the measurement-to-track association, which results in error tracking in a multitarget environment, where the targets are too close to each other. To enhance the tracking accuracy, the target signal classification information （TSCI） should be used to improve the data association. The TSCI is integrated in the data association process using the JPDA （joint probabilistic data association）. The use of the TSCI in the data association can improve discrimination by yielding a purer track and preserving continuity. To verify the validity of the application of TSCI, two simulation experiments are done on an air target-tracing problem, that is, one using the TSCI and the other not using the TSCI. The final comparison shows that the use of the TSCI can effectively improve tracking accuracy.     

Krylov subspace method based on data preprocessing technology

The performance of adaptive beamforming techniques is limited by the nonhomogeneous clutter scenario. An augmented Krylov subspace method is proposed, which utilizes only a single snapshot of the data for adaptive processing. The novel algorithm puts together a data preprocessor and adaptive Krylov subspace algorithm, where the data preprocessor suppresses discrete interference and the adaptive Krylov subspace algorithm suppresses homogeneous clutter. The novel method uses a single snapshot of the data received by the array antenna to generate a cancellation matrix that does not contain the signal of interest （SOI） component, thus, it mitigates the problem of highly nonstationary clutter environment and it helps to operate in real-time. The benefit of not requiring the training data comes at the cost of a reduced degree of freedom （DOF） of the system. Simulation illustrates the effectiveness in clutter suppression and adaptive beamforming. The numeric results show good agreement with the proposed theorem.