Effect of low level laser irradiation on the proliferation of myoblasts—the skeletal muscle precursor cells: an experimental in vitro study

The aim of this paper is to study the effect of low-level laser irradiation (LLLI) on proliferation of myoblasts in culture. Myoblasts derived from rat skeletal muscle were irradiated by He-Ne laser with different doses. Compared with nonirradiated control group, the number of myoblasts increased when the cells in normal culture conditions were exposed to the laser of specific energy density. The amount of cells with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) positive expression and the 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation rate after laser irradiation were also higher than that of the control group, suggesting that LLLL at certain doses can effectively enhance myoblasts growth activity in vitro. This study firstly demonstrated that stimulating myoblasts to enter into proliferative stage from initial resting state was an important mechanism of regeneration and repair of injured skeletal muscle promoted by LLLI in clinical treatment.     

Monophasic Pulsed Current Stimulation of Duty Cycle 10% Promotes Differentiation of Human Dermal Fibroblasts into Myofibroblasts

Objective: Many clinical trials have shown the therapeutic effects of electrical stimulation (ES) in various conditions. Our previous studies showed that ES (200 μA and 2 Hz) promotes migration and proliferation of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). However, the effective duty cycle and the effect of ES on myofibroblast differentiation are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between duty cycle and myofibroblast differentiation. Methods: HDFs were subjected to ES (200 μA and 2 Hz) for 24 h with the duty cycle adapted at 0% (control), 10%, 50%, or 90%. α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 mRNA and α-SMA protein expressions were assessed. Collagen gel contraction was observed for 48 h after ES initiation and the gel area was measured. Cell viability and pH of culture medium were analyzed for cytotoxicity of the ES. Results: Cell viabilities were decreased in the 50% and the 90% groups but ES did not influence on pH of culture media. ES with a duty cycle of 10% significantly promoted the mRNA expression of α-SMA and TGF-β1. α-SMA protein expression in the 10% group was also significantly higher than that of the control group. Collagen gel subjected to ES with a duty cycle of 10% was contracted. Conclusion: Duty cycle can influence on myofibroblast differentiation and ES with a duty cycle 10% is the effective for wound healing.     

Mycorrhizal fungi influence on silver uptake and membrane protein gene expression following silver nanoparticle exposure

The rapid growth of nanotechnology and the high demand for nanomaterial use have greatly increased the risk of particle release into the environment. Understanding nanomaterial interactions with crop species and their associated microorganisms is critical to food safety and security. In the current study, tomato was inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi and subsequently exposed to 12, 24, or 36 mg/kg of 2- or 15-nm silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). Mycorrhizal (M) and non-mycorrhizal (NM) tomatoes exposed to 36 mg/kg of 2-nm Ag-NPs accumulated 1300 and 1600 μg/g silver in their tissues, respectively. Mycorrhizal plants accumulated 14% less silver compared to non-mycorrhizal plants. To begin to understand the mechanisms by which plants accumulate NPs, the expression of two aquaporin channel genes, the plasma membrane intrinsic protein (PIP) and the tonoplast membrane intrinsic protein (TIP), and one potassium channel (KC) gene were studied. In non-mycorrhizal plants, the expression of KC, PIP, and TIP was eight, five, and nine times higher than the control, respectively. These expressions for mycorrhizal plants were 5.8, 3.5, and 2 times higher than controls, respectively. The expression of KC and PIP, which are located on the plasma membrane, was 3.5 and 2.5, respectively, times higher than TIP, which is located on the tonoplast. PIP expression was significantly higher in NM tomatoes exposed to 12 mg/kg of 2-nm Ag-NPs compared to M plants. These results show that mycorrhizal colonization decreases Ag accumulation in NP-exposed plants and also moderates changes in expression level of membrane transport proteins.     

Joint impact of nodes-mobility and channel estimation error on the performance of two-way relay systems

This paper presents the performance analysis of a two-way relay system with nodes-mobility (NM) and channel estimation errors (CEE) under time-varying Rayleigh fading. Herein, analog network coding protocol is employed at the relay node. All the participating nodes are half-duplex and equipped with single-antenna devices. Specifically, we utilize first-order Markovian model to characterize the impact of NM in the channel. Along with the NM, we also consider that the CEE may exist in practical scenarios, where nodes require to estimate the channel state information. By incorporating these factors, we first derive the instantaneous end-to-end (e2e) signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) at two source nodes. Then, we obtain the exact closed-form expressions for distribution and density functions of the two e2e SNRs. After that, we derive the accurate expressions of various performance metrics, viz., sum-bit error rate, overall outage probability, and ergodic sum-rate. Further, to attain more insights into the considered system, we deduce the asymptotic behavior of these performance metrics. Finally, numerical and Monte-Carlo simulation results are provided to validate our theoretical analysis and to illustrate the impact of NM and CEE on the performance measures of the considered system.     

Fast estimation of array gain of vertical transmit array in Pekeris waveguide

In order to estimate the sound intensity level of vertical transmit array(VTA) from that of single transducer,a fast estimation method of transmit array gain(TAG) in Pekeris waveguide is studied.At first,the average sound intensity of VTA is calculated on the basis of normal mode theory with the effective depth,and the TAG expressed by the summation of modes is derived.Then by using integral,instead of summation,of modes order,the fast estimation expression of TAG in 3/2 power field is derived along with error correction.Because only the first mode exists in effective shadow zone(ESZ),the fast estimation expression of TAG in ESZ is derived by directly simplifying the former expression.All of the fast estimation errors of computer simulations and experiment in shallow water are less than 1 dB,which can verify the validity of the fast estimation method.This fast estimation method of TAG can provide references for practical application.     

Ground state of an impurity in a homogeneous system in the hypernetted chain approximation

The hypernetted chain theory of the ground state of a homogeneous N-particle medium NM with an impurity particle is presented. The N identical particles are fermions with spin-isospin degeneracy ν, or bosons (in the limit of ν → ∞). The ground-state wave-function of the system is assumed in the Jastrow form with central, state-independent correlation functions. Central, spin-isospin-dependent two-body interactions both in NM and between the impurity particle and the particles of NM are considered. Expressions for the ground-state energy of the system and for the separation energy of the impurity particle are derived. The simplified case of the chain approximation is also considered.     

Pekeris波导中垂直发射阵的阵增益快速估计

为了利用单换能器的声强级估计垂直发射阵的声强级,研究了Pekeris波导中快速估计发射阵增益的方法。首先,基于等效深度简正波理论,计算了Pekeris波导中垂直发射阵的平均声强,进而得到用模态阶数求和表示的发射阵增益的表达式。然后对模态阶数用积分代替求和,并对引入的误差进行修,得到3/2次方衰减场区发射阵增益的快速估计表达式;有效声影区声场由于只剩1阶简正模态,可直接简化得到发射阵增益的快速估计表达式,在海底参数未知时可用海深近似代替等效深度来估计有效声影区的发射阵增益。计算机仿真和海上实验得到的阵增益快速估计误差均小于1 dB,验证了快速估计方法的有效性,这一发射阵增益快速估计方法可以为工程应用提供参考。      

运用光谱参数冠层覆盖度建立作物长势及氮营养状态模型

为了探索运用数码照片中光谱(红、绿、蓝)的像素计算得到的冠层覆盖度(canopy cover, CC)对玉米长势及氮素营养状态进行非破坏性监测的技术。通过获取玉米冠层的数码照片图像,定量化数码照片色彩参数与作物叶面积指数(leaf area index, LAI)、冠层干重(shoot dry matter weight, DM)、叶片氮素含量(leaf nitrogen content percentage, N%)之间的关系。试验于2012年和2013年在中国农业科学院试验田进行,运用基于Visual Basic Version 6.0研发的玉米冠层图像分析系统,分析了玉米品种中单909在3个氮素水平条件下分别于9叶展时期、抽雄期和灌浆期的CC、11种色彩指数与植株LAI,DM,N%及产量之间的相关性,并对相关性显著的指标进行了拟合与建模。结果表明,CC与LAI(r=0.93, p＜0.01),DM(r=0.94, p＜0.01),N%(r=0.82, p＜0.01)之间均达到了极显著水平;用CC估算LAI,DM和N%的模型均为幂函数,方程式分别是y=3.281 2x0.763 9,y=283.658 1x0.553 6,y=3.064 5x0.932 9;用与建模相独立的数据对模型验证,结果表明,CC估算LAI模型的实测值与模拟值基于1∶1直线的R2,RMSE和RE分别是0.996,0.035和1.46%;CC估算DM模型的R2,RMSE和RE分别是0.978,5.408 g和2.43%;CC估算N%模型的R2,RMSE和RE分别是0.990,0.054和2.62%。综上所述,模型能够较准确的通过CC估算不同氮肥水平条件下玉米9叶展时期、抽雄期和灌浆期的LAI,DM与N%,表明应用数码相机的光谱信息可实现对玉米生长过程中的生长状况及氮素营养状态进行实时无损快速监测与预测。     

Monodispersed Bioactive Glass Nanoparticles Enhance the Osteogenic Differentiation of Adipose‐Derived Stem Cells through Activating TGF‐Beta/Smad3 Signaling Pathway

It is important to understand the interaction mechanisms between nanomaterials and adipose‐derived stem cells for biomedical application. Nanoscale bioactive glass has positive effects on guiding osteoblasts differentiation and bone regeneration. However, the effects and molecular mechanism of monodispersed bioactive glass nanoparticles on the osteogenic differentiation of adipose‐derived stem cells are still not clear up to now. In this study, the effects and underlying molecular mechanism of monodispersed bioactive glass nanoparticles on the osteogenic differentiation of adipose‐derived stem cells are investigated in minute detail. The results show that nanoparticles (100–200 nm) can be absorbed by stem cells and is distributed in cytoplasm and nucleus. In both culture conditions (normal and osteoinductive), nanoparticles (80 µg mL⁻¹) can significantly enhance the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells through upregulating the alkaline phosphatase activity, osteogenic genes and protein expressions, as well as calcium deposition. Further study suggests that the activation of transforming growth factor‐beta/Smad3 signaling pathway plays an important role in the osteogenic differentiation of adipose‐derived stem cells enhanced by monodispersed nanoparticles. This study may have important implications for better understanding of stem cells fate induced by monodispersed nanoparticles and provide a promising approach toward stem cells‐based bone regeneration.     

Generalized definition of group velocity of signal in dispersive medium and its application to very short pulses in waveguides

In the present paper the group velocity of a signal in a dispersive medium is defined as the velocity of the temporal centre of gravity of the signal envelope. An analytical expression of the envelope of a very short electromagnetic pulse in waveguides with imperfectly conducting walls is derived together with the analytical expression of the group velocity of this pulse. For the above expressions the range of validity is delimited.     

二维核磁共振数据处理与显示系统

详细介绍了我们在386微机上建立的二维NMR数据处理与分析系统,该系统采用菜单驱动方式,具有良好的用户界面,可进行标准的常规二维NMR数据处理与分析,数据处理结果可由标准设备输出或者以文件方式存储以便其它应用软件处理,该系统的建立可使通用微计算机成为有效的核磁共振数据处理站。     

Generation of THz Radiation by Laser Plasma Interaction

This paper presents the three wave parametric decay process to generate the Terahertz (THz) radiations in magnetized plasma. The pump wave (Laser beam) is considered in the extraordinary mode (x‐mode), propagating perpendicular to the background magnetic field. This pump wave decays into an upper hybrid wave and a THz wave which is in magnetosonic mode. The appropriate expressions for the coupling coefficients of the threewave interaction and THz wave amplitude have been derived. Subsequently, the growth rate of this decay instability is also calculated. Various laser and plasma parameters were optimized and we report efficiency of the order of ～1.4 × 10^–2 for current scheme. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Wigner-Ville distribution for pulse propagation in random media: pulsed plane wave

The time-frequency Wigner-Ville distribution for a pulsed plane-wave signal propagating in a continuous random medium is found, based on the previously derived modal series expression for the two-frequency coherence function. The theory can address propagation in any homogeneous isotropic random medium, but closed-form expressions are specifically derived for a general power-law medium. Two alternative formulations are presented: a modal-wavefront approach wherein each mode is asymptotically transformed to the time domain and a collective approach wherein the mode series is summed collectively and then transformed to the time domain using pole contributions. The physical interpretation of these two different representations in the time-frequency domain as either a superposition of localized wavefronts or collective excitations is established, and their applications to the calculation of local moments are considered.     

Dissipation and dispersion properties of microinhomogeneous media

The propagation of a harmonic elastic wave in a microinhomogeneous (defect-containing) medium is considered in the framework of the rheological model that reperesents the medium in the form of a one-dimensional chain of masses connected by purely elastic elements and by Kelvin-Voigt viscoelastic elements. Analytical expressions are derived for the dissipation and dispersion characteristics of this medium for various distributions of the parameters of the viscoelastic elements. The dissipation and dispersion properties are found to obey the Kramers-Kronig relations. It is also shown that the damping decrement of the wave is almost constant, and the phase velocity monotonically increases in a sufficiently wide range of parameters of the viscoelastic elements in a wide frequency band. The derived expressions for the dispersion and dissipation are used to simulate the propagation of broadband pulses in this kind of medium.     

An average-magnetization analysis of R 1ρ relaxation outside of the fast exchange limit

Approximate expressions for the NMR spin relaxation rate constant in the rotating frame of reference R _1ρ are derived for two-site chemical exchange by consideration of the evolution of the average density operator using the stochastic Liouville equation. R _1ρ is obtained as a linearized approximation to the largest (least negative) eigenvalue of the matrix describing the evolution of the average density operator in the long-term limit. The expressions obtained are more accurate than existing expressions when exchange is not fast and the populations of the exchanging sites are close to equal. The new expressions for R _1ρ facilitate the interpretation of chemical exchange phenomena in proteins and other biological macromolecules.     

Coherent backscattering of polarized light from a turbid medium

Approximate analytical expressions for the intensities of the polarized components of light reflected from a disordered medium with large discrete particles (larger than the wavelength) have been derived with the use of the method of decoupling of the vector transfer equation that is based on separate treatment of basic and additional polarization modes. The results obtained provide the relation between the peak shape in the angular distribution of the backscattered radiation with a given polarization and the optical characteristics of the medium and are in good agreement with experimental data and numerical calculations.     

Interfacial properties of Ce<Subscript>0.75</Subscript>Zr<Subscript>0.25</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> supported noble metals (Pd,Pt) from first principles

First-principles electronic structure calculations of noble metals (NM=Pd, Pt)/Ce_0.75Zr_0.25O₂ systems are presented. It is found that: the NM adatoms do not prefer to stay at the atop or the bridge sites of the cations (Ce and Zr), but prefer to be adsorbed at or around the anion sites. The most preferable adsorption sites for both the Pd and Pt adatoms are the O-bridge sites neighboring the Zr dopant. The Pt adatom show much stronger interaction with the Ce_0.75Zr_0.25O₂(111) surface than does the Pd adatom. The interactions of the NM/Ce_0.75Zr_0.25O₂(111) interfaces are stronger than those of the corresponding NM/ceria(111) interfaces. There are some metal induced gap states (MIGS) appeared in the gaps of the NM/Ce_0.75Zr_0.25O₂(111) interfaces, which are important to catalytic properties of the NM/Ce_0.75Zr_0.25O₂(111) catalysts.     

广义Morse流体解析状态方程及对氮的应用

 根据Ross变分微扰理论以及硬球流体Percus-Yevick（PY） 径向分布函数表达式,建立了广义Morse势流体的解析状态方程。与模拟结果的比较一方面证实了广义Morse 势模型的合理性;另一方面表明了解析Ross变分微扰理论的精度相当或略好于非解析的Weeks-Chandler-Anderson （mWCA）理论,而优于复杂的优化超网络链积分方程理论（RHNC）。该解析状态方程被应用于拟合处于环境温度和压强小于1 GPa情形流体氮的实验数据,所得到的势能参数被用于预测高温高密度情形氮流体的压强,预测结果证实,该解析状态方程可以很好地适用于较宽的压强和温度范围。     

Monodisperse Branched Molybdenum‐Based Bioactive Nanoparticles Significantly Promote Osteogenic Differentiation of Adipose‐Derived Stem Cells

Adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs) are considered to be ideal stem cell sources for bone‐tissue regeneration owing to their ease of collection and high activity. However, the regulation of osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs using biomaterials without adding growth factors is still not satisfactory. For the first time, molybdenum‐doped bioactive glass nanoparticles with a radial porous morphology (Mo‐rBGNs) are reported and their role in the osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs is investigated. The results show that Mo‐rBGNs exhibit radially porous and spherical morphology, relatively homogeneous particle size (200–400 nm), and excellent apatite‐forming bioactivity. They do not affect the proliferation of ADSCs, but significantly regulate their osteogenic differentiation and biomineralization. 5% Mo‐rBGNs significantly enhance the alkaline phosphatase activity and biomineralization ability and promote the osteogenic gene expressions of collagen I secretion and bone sialo protein in ADSCs. A reasonable and promising strategy for designing nanoscale bioactive materials with the excellent osteogenic ability for stem cell–based bone tissue regeneration is provided.