Multifractality in human heartbeat dynamics.

There is evidence that physiological signals under healthy conditions may have a fractal temporal structure. Here we investigate the possibility that time series generated by certain physiological control systems may be members of a special class of complex processes, termed multifractal, which require a large number of exponents to characterize their scaling properties. We report on evidence for multifractality in a biological dynamical system, the healthy human heartbeat, and show that the multifractal character and nonlinear properties of the healthy heart rate are encoded in the Fourier phases. We uncover a loss of multifractality for a life-threatening condition, congestive heart failure.     

Immunization with amyloid-beta attenuates Alzheimer-disease-like pathology in the PDAPP mouse.

Amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) seems to have a central role in the neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Familial forms of the disease have been linked to mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and the presenilin genes. Disease-linked mutations in these genes result in increased production of the 42-amino-acid form of the peptide (Abeta42), which is the predominant form found in the amyloid plaques of Alzheimer's disease. The PDAPP transgenic mouse, which overexpresses mutant human APP (in which the amino acid at position 717 is phenylalanine instead of the normal valine), progressively develops many of the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease in an age- and brain-region-dependent manner. In the present study, transgenic animals were immunized with Abeta42, either before the onset of AD-type neuropathologies (at 6 weeks of age) or at an older age (11 months), when amyloid-beta deposition and several of the subsequent neuropathological changes were well established. We report that immunization of the young animals essentially prevented the development of beta-amyloid-plaque formation, neuritic dystrophy and astrogliosis. Treatment of the older animals also markedly reduced the extent and progression of these AD-like neuropathologies. Our results raise the possibility that immunization with amyloid-beta may be effective in preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease.     

Effect of reduction roasting by using bio-char derived from empty fruit bunch on the magnetic properties of Malaysian iron ore

Beneficiation of Malaysian iron ore is becoming necessary as iron resources are depleting. However, the upgrading process is challenging because of the weak magnetic properties of Malaysian iron ore. In this study, bio-char derived from oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) was utilized as an energy source for reduction roasting. Mixtures of Malaysian iron ore and the bio-char were pressed into briquettes and subjected to reduction roasting processes at 873–1173 K. The extent of reduction was estimated on the basis of mass loss, and the magnetization of samples was measured using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). When reduced at 873 K, the original goethite-rich ore was converted into hematite. An increase in temperature to 1073 K caused a significant conversion of hematite into magnetite and enhanced the magnetic susceptibility and saturation magnetization of samples. The magnetic properties diminished at 1173 K as the iron ore was partially reduced to wustite. This reduction roasting by using the bio-char can assist in upgrading the iron ore by improving its magnetic properties.     

金刚石钻进能量与花岗岩地层风化程度的关系

基于钻进过程监测系统在充填土-风化花岗岩地层中对液压旋转钻进的监测数据,对金刚石钻进系统的能量进行了分析.结果表明,钻进系统的能量分布与在普通风化花岗岩地层中的结果一致,黏滞能、动能以及钻进总能量与岩石的风化程度呈负相关,轴力功与岩石的风化程度呈正相关,说明金刚石钻进能量与岩石风化程度具有很好的响应关系.动能、轴力功及黏滞能受钻进方式影响,用于地层识别将受严格的可比条件限制.金刚石钻进比功随岩石风化程度的增强而减少,在不同风化程度的岩层中具有很好的分区性.而且,在充填土及全风化、强风化花岗岩地层中,金刚石旋转钻进比功值明显低于冲击凿碎比功,在微风化的坚硬岩中,旋转钻进比功则明显高于冲击凿碎比功.     

A GaAs polariton light-emitting diode operating near room temperature

The increasing ability to control light-matter interactions at the nanometre scale has improved the performance of semiconductor lasers in the past decade. The ultimate optimization is realized in semiconductor microcavities, in which strong coupling between quantum-well excitons and cavity photons gives rise to hybrid half-light/half-matter polariton quasiparticles. The unique properties of polaritons-such as stimulated scattering, parametric amplification, lasing, condensation and superfluidity-are believed to provide the basis for a new generation of polariton emitters and semiconductor lasers. Until now, polariton lasing and nonlinearities have only been demonstrated in optical experiments, which have shown the potential to reduce lasing thresholds by two orders of magnitude compared to conventional semiconductor lasers. Here we report an experimental realization of an electrically pumped semiconductor polariton light-emitting device, which emits directly from polariton states at a temperature of 235 K. Polariton electroluminescence data reveal characteristic anticrossing between exciton and cavity modes, a clear signature of the strong coupling regime. These findings represent a substantial step towards the realization of ultra-efficient polaritonic devices with unprecedented characteristics.     

Semi-annual oscillations in Saturn's low-latitude stratospheric temperatures

Observations of oscillations of temperature and wind in planetary atmospheres provide a means of generalizing models for atmospheric dynamics in a diverse set of planets in the Solar System and elsewhere. An equatorial oscillation similar to one in the Earth's atmosphere has been discovered in Jupiter. Here we report the existence of similar oscillations in Saturn's atmosphere, from an analysis of over two decades of spatially resolved observations of its 7.8-microm methane and 12.2-microm ethane stratospheric emissions, where we compare zonal-mean stratospheric brightness temperatures at planetographic latitudes of 3.6 degrees and 15.5 degrees in both the northern and the southern hemispheres. These results support the interpretation of vertical and meridional variability of temperatures in Saturn's stratosphere as a manifestation of a wave phenomenon similar to that on the Earth and in Jupiter. The period of this oscillation is 14.8 +/- 1.2 terrestrial years, roughly half of Saturn's year, suggesting the influence of seasonal forcing, as is the case with the Earth's semi-annual oscillation.     

腾冲嗜酸两性菌硫氧化还原酶分子结构中铁原子结合位点的新特征

前期研究表明, 铁原子对于嗜酸两性菌中硫氧化还原酶(SOR)的活性至关重要. 本研究表明, 2,2′-联吡啶、1,2-二羟基苯-3,5-二磺酸钠、8-羟基喹啉等特异性铁离子螯合剂强烈抑制腾冲嗜酸两性菌SOR酶活性, 进一步表明铁原子是SOR酶活必需. 对目前基因组数据库中的SOR基因或者SOR类似基因进行序列比对, 发现了一个潜在的铁原子结合模体(H⁸⁶-X₃- H⁹⁰-X_n-E¹¹⁴-X_n-E¹²⁹). 据此, 本研究采用定点突变技术, 将氨基酸残基H⁸⁶, H⁹⁰和E¹²⁹分别突变为苯丙氨酸或者丙氨酸, 圆二色光谱测定发现突变体(H⁸⁶F, H⁹⁰F和E¹²⁹A)的二级结构没有明显改变, 但是这3个突变体全部丧失了酶活性. 突变体蛋白中铁原子含量测定结果表明, 3个突变体全部或者部分丢失了铁原子, 而之前研究中获得的3个半胱氨酸突变体(完全丧失了酶活)铁原子含量没有变化. 根据本研究并结合前期实验结果可知, SOR分子中模体C³¹-X_n-C¹⁰¹-X₂-C¹⁰⁴是底物硫分子活化区域; 而模体H⁸⁶-X₃-H⁹⁰-X₂₃-E¹¹⁴-X_¹⁴-(E/D)¹²⁹是SOR分子中铁原子的结合区域, 与铁原子结合形成一个非卟啉铁中心, 是SOR的氧化还原中心; 这两个区域均是SOR酶活性的必需部分.     

修正表面张力系数的包膜气泡动力学模型

基于包膜造影剂气泡的实际应用, 在传统的三层模型基础上提出了一个修正的动力学模型来描绘包膜气泡的动力学行为. 通过衔接三层模型中包膜的两个边界条件, 得到一个两层模型并简化了方程的结构. 为了使动力平衡更加准确, 在建立边界条件时考虑了包膜质量, 并将包膜层厚度与气泡半径的关系具体化. 更为重要的是, 我们对绝大多数文献中的表面张力系数不变的假设进行了修正, 认为其随半径变化呈非线性变化, 且通过数值计算对表面张力系数修正带来的变化进行了讨论. 此外, 我们应用本文模型对实验得到的Optison及Sonozoid微气泡的动力学曲线进行了拟合, 并与其他经典模型的拟合结果进行了比较, 结论证明了本文模型具有很好的适用性.