A combinatorial constraint satisfaction problem dichotomy classification conjecture

Ne&#x161,et&#x159,il, Jaroslav,Siggers, Mark H.,Zá,dori, Lá,szló Elsevier 2010 European journal of combinatorics : Journal europ& Vol.31 No.1

<P><B>Abstract</B></P><P>We further generalise a construction–the <I>fibre construction</I>–that was developed in an earlier paper of the first two authors. The extension in this paper gives a polynomial-time reduction of CSP(H) for any relational system H to CSP(P) for any relational system P that meets a certain technical partition condition, that of being <SUB>K3</SUB>-<I>partitionable</I>.</P><P>Moreover, we define an equivalent condition on P, that of being <I>block projective</I>, and using this show that our construction proves NP-completeness for exactly those CSPs that are conjectured to be NP-complete by the CSP dichotomy classification conjecture made by Bulatov, Jeavons and Krohkin, and by Larose and Zádori. We thus provide two new combinatorial versions of the CSP dichotomy classification conjecture.</P><P>As with our previous version of the fibre construction, we are able to address restricted versions of the dichotomy conjecture. In particular, we reduce the Feder–Hell–Huang conjecture to the CSP dichotomy classification conjecture, and we prove the Kostochka–Nešetřil–Smolíková conjecture. Although these results were proved independently by Jonsson et al. and Kun respectively, we give different, shorter, proofs.</P>

Influence of Cr Doping on the Critical Behavior of Amorphous Alloy Ribbons Fe_{78–<i>x</i>}Cr_<i>x</i>Si₄Nb₅B₁₂Cu₁

Phan, T. L.,Thanh, P. Q.,Chau, N.,Huu, C. X.,Ngo, D.-T,Ho, T. A.,Thanh, T. D.,Yu, S. C. IEEE 2014 IEEE transactions on magnetics Vol.50 No.11

<P>Though many previous works focused on studying Cr-doped Fe-Si-Nb-B-Cu amorphous alloys, magnetic-interaction mechanisms in these materials have not been carefully investigated yet. Dealing with these issues, we have prepared the amorphous alloy ribbons Fe<SUB>78-x</SUB>Cr<SUB>x</SUB>Si<SUB>4</SUB>Nb<SUB>5</SUB>B<SUB>12</SUB>Cu<SUB>1</SUB> with x= 1, 3, and 6, and then studied their magnetic and critical properties. Magnetization versus temperature and magnetic-field measurements, MHT, performed on a vibrating sample magnetometer reveal that the Cr-content increase in Fe<SUB>78-x</SUB>Cr<SUB>x</SUB>Si<SUB>4</SUB>Nb<SUB>5</SUB>B<SUB>12</SUB>Cu<SUB>1</SUB> reduces the T<SUB>C</SUB> from 430 K for x= 1 to about 322 K (for x= 6). This indicates the decline of ferromagnetic (FM) exchange interactions between Fe atoms when there is the presence of Cr atoms. We have also analyzed the M(H) data at the temperatures in the vicinity of the T<SUB>C</SUB> using the modified Arrott plot method and the scaling hypothesis, and determined the values of the critical exponents β = 0.367-0.376 and γ = 1.315-1.338. These values are close to those expected for the 3-D Heisenberg model with β = 0.365 and γ = 1.336, proving the existence of short-range FM order in the amorphous alloy ribbons.</P>

Piezoelectric activities and domain patterns of orthorhombic Ba(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramics

P. Zheng,K.X. Song,H.B. Qin,L. Zheng,L.M. Zheng 한국물리학회 2013 Current Applied Physics Vol.13 No.6

Ba(ZrxTi1-x)O3 (0.025 ≤ x ≤ 0.065) ceramics were prepared by conventional solid-state reaction method. Crystalline structures were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. It was shown that all the Ba(ZrxTi1-x)O3(0.025 ≤ x ≤ 0.065) ceramics were of orthorhombic phase at room temperature. Piezoelectric activities and domain patterns were investigated and compared with those of BaTiO3 ceramic. All the Ba(ZrxTi1-x)O3 ceramics showed nearly the same d33 values of about 265 pC/N and the same domain width of about 220 nm. By comparing the grain sizes and domain width of the Ba(ZrxTi1-x)O3 ceramics with those of BaTiO3 ceramic, it is speculated that the variation of domain width with grain sizes in orthorhombic Ba(ZrxTi1-x)O3 ceramics may be different with that in tetragonal BaTiO3 ceramic. Besides domain width,the effective inertia mass of domain wall is also considered to be a very important factor that impacts the piezoelectric activities of the Ba(ZrxTi1-x)O3 ceramics.

Survival benefits from reduced‐intensity conditioning in allogeneic stem cell transplantation for young lower‐risk MDS patients without significant comorbidities

Lee, Sung&#x2010,Eun,Kim, Yoo&#x2010,Jin,Yahng, Seung&#x2010,Ah,Cho, Byung&#x2010,Sik,Eom, Ki&#x2010,Sung,Lee, Seok,Min, Chang&#x2010,Ki,Kim, Hee&#x2010,Je,Cho, Seok&#x2010,Goo,Kim, Dong&#x2010,Wook,L Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011 European journal of haematology Vol.87 No.6

<P><B>Abstract</B></P><P><I>Objective:</I> The aim of this study was to determine the optimum conditioning intensity for allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) in young (age ≤50), lower‐risk (INT‐1 by IPSS) Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients without significant comorbidities (hematopoietic cell transplantation‐comorbidity index score ≤3). <I>Methods:</I> Transplant outcomes from 46 consecutive patients were retrospectively analyzed according to the conditioning intensity: reduced‐intensity conditioning (RIC; <I>n</I> = 14), intensified RIC by adding low‐dose total body irradiation (iRIC; <I>n</I> = 15), and myeloablative conditioning (MAC; <I>n</I> = 17). <I>Results:</I> After a median follow‐up of 73.7 months, RIC had a better 4‐yr overall survival (OS) (92.9%) compared with the iRIC (64.2%) or MAC (70.6%). Multivariate analysis showed that RIC was associated with improved OS compared with the MAC [relative risk (RR) of 0.08, <I>P </I>=<I> </I>0.022] because of a lower transplant‐related mortality (TRM) (RR, 0.08, <I>P </I>=<I> </I>0.035). iRIC failed to show survival benefits over the MAC (RR of 0.77, <I>P </I>=<I> </I>0.689) because of similarly high TRM (RR of 0.41, <I>P </I>=<I> </I>0.480). Cumulative incidence of acute and chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) after RIC was higher, but GVHD‐specific survival was significantly better (RIC 100% vs. iRIC 45.7% vs. MAC, <I>P </I>=<I> </I>0.018). Relapse rate was not different among the three groups, but in the RIC group, azacitidine was available and useful for inducing remission in two patients. <I>Conclusion:</I> This study shows that RIC improved OS by directly lowering TRM and indirectly giving an additional chance for relapsed MDS in the era of hypomethylating treatment. RIC–SCT should be considered for relative healthy lower‐risk MDS patients.</P>

Thin‐Wall Assembled SnO₂ Fibers Functionalized by Catalytic Pt Nanoparticles and their Superior Exhaled‐Breath‐Sensing Properties for the Diagnosis of Diabetes

Shin, Jungwoo,Choi, Seon&#x2010,Jin,Lee, Inkun,Youn, Doo&#x2010,Young,Park, Chong Ook,Lee, Jong&#x2010,Heun,Tuller, Harry L.,Kim, Il&#x2010,Doo WILEY‐VCH Verlag 2013 Advanced functional materials Vol.23 No.19

<P><B>Abstract</B></P><P>Hierarchical SnO<SUB>2</SUB> fibers assembled from wrinkled thin tubes are synthesized by controlling the microphase separation between tin precursors and polymers, by varying flow rates during electrospinning and a subsequent heat treatment. The inner and outer SnO<SUB>2</SUB> tubes have a number of elongated open pores ranging from 10 nm to 500 nm in length along the fiber direction, enabling fast transport of gas molecules to the entire thin‐walled sensing layers. These features admit exhaled gases such as acetone and toluene, which are markers used for the diagnosis of diabetes and lung cancer. The open tubular structures facilitated the uniform coating of catalytic Pt nanoparticles onto the inner SnO<SUB>2</SUB> layers. Highly porous SnO<SUB>2</SUB> fibers synthesized at a high flow rate show five‐fold higher acetone responses than densely packed SnO<SUB>2</SUB> fibers synthesized at a low flow rate. Interestingly, thin‐wall assembled SnO<SUB>2</SUB> fibers functionalized by Pt particles exhibit a dramatically shortened gas response time compared to that of un‐doped SnO<SUB>2</SUB> fibers, even at low acetone concentrations. Moreover, Pt‐decorated SnO<SUB>2</SUB> fibers significantly enhance toluene response. These results demonstrate the novel and practical feasibility of thin‐wall assembled metal oxide based breath sensors for the accurate diagnosis of diabetes and potential detection of lung cancer.</P>

X‐linked Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease type 6 (CMTX6) patients with a p.R158H mutation in the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isoenzyme 3 gene

Kennerson, Marina L.,Kim, Eun J.,Siddell, Anna,Kidambi, Aditi,Kim, Sung M.,Hong, Young B.,Hwang, Sun H.,Chung, Ki W.,Choi, Byung&#x2010,Ok Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 2016 Journal of the peripheral nervous system Vol.21 No.1

<P><B>Abstract</B></P><P>Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease (CMT) is the most common inherited peripheral neuropathy. Mutations in the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isoenzyme 3 (<I>PDK3</I>) gene have been found to cause X‐linked dominant CMT type 6 (CMTX6). This study identified the p.R158H <I>PDK3</I> mutation after screening 67 probable X‐linked CMT families. The mutation fully segregated with the phenotype, and genotyping the family indicated the mutation arose on a different haplotype compared with the original Australian CMTX6 family. Results of bisulphite sequencing suggest that methylated deamination of a CpG dinucleotide may cause the recurrent p.R158H mutation. The frequency of the p.R158H <I>PDK3</I> mutation in Koreans is very rare. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed fatty infiltration involving distal muscles in the lower extremities. In addition, fatty infiltrations were predominantly observed in the soleus muscles, with a lesser extent in tibialis anterior muscles. This differs from demyelinating CMT1A patients and is similar to axonal CMT2A patients. The clinical, neuroimaging, and electrophysiological findings from a second CMTX6 family with the p.R158H <I>PDK3</I> mutation were similar to the axonal neuropathy reported in the Australian family.</P>

Monodisperse Thermoresponsive Microgels with Tunable Volume‐Phase Transition Kinetics

Chu, L.&#x2010,Y.,Kim, J.&#x2010,W.,Shah, R. K.,Weitz, D. A. WILEY‐VCH Verlag 2007 Advanced Functional Materials Vol.17 No.17

<P><B>Abstract</B></P><P>A facile method to control the volume‐phase transition kinetics of thermo‐sensitive poly(<I>N</I>‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgels is presented. Monodisperse PNIPAM microgels with spherical voids are prepared using a microfluidic device. The swelling and shrinking responses of these microgels with spherical voids to changes in temperature are compared with those of voidless microgels of the same size and chemical composition prepared using the same microfluidic device. It is shown that the PNIPAM microgels with voids respond faster to changes in temperature as compared with their voidless counterparts. Also, the induced void structure does not have a detrimental effect on the equilibrium volume change of the microgels. Thus, the volume phase transition kinetics of the microgels can be finely tuned by controlling the number and size of the voids. The flexibility, control, and simplicity in fabrication rendered by this approach make these microgels appealing for applications that range from drug delivery systems and chemical separations to chemical/biosensing and actuators.</P>

Strain Mismatch Induced Tilted Heteroepitaxial (000<i>l</i>) Hexagonal ZnO Films on (001) Cubic Substrates

Kang, Bo Soo,Stan, Liliana,Usov, Igor O.,Lee, Jung&#x2010,Kun,Harriman, Tres A.,Lucca, Don A.,DePaula, Raymond F.,Arendt, Paul N.,Nastasi, Michael,MacManus&#x2010,Driscoll, Judith L.,Park, Bae Ho,Jia, WILEY‐VCH Verlag 2011 Advanced Engineering Materials Vol.13 No.12

<P><B>Abstract</B></P><P>A novel strain mismatch induced tilted epitaxy method has been demonstrated for producing high quality (000l) hexagonal films on (001) cubic substrates. Highly oriented hexagonal (000l) ZnO films are grown on cubic (001) MgO substrates using Sm<SUB>0.28</SUB>Zr<SUB>0.72</SUB>O<SUB>2−<B>δ</B></SUB> (SZO) as a template. The large lattice mismatch of >13% between the obvious crystallographic matching directions of the template and substrate means that cube‐on‐cube epitaxy is energetically unfavorable, leading to growth instead of two high index, low energy compact planes, close to the {111} orientation. These planes give three different in‐plane orientations resulting from coincidence site lattice matching (12 in‐plane orientations in total) and provide a pseudo‐hexagonal symmetry surface for the ZnO to grow on. The texture of the ensuing (000l) ZnO layer is markedly improved over the template. The work opens up both a new avenue for growing technologically important hexagonal structures on a range of readily available, (001) cubic substrates, as well as showing that there are wide possibilities for heteroepitaxial growth of a range of dissimilar materials.</P>

Effect of night light regimen on growth performance, antioxidant status and health of broiler chickens from 1 to 21 days of age

R.X. Zhao,C.H. Cai,P. Wang,L. Zheng,J.S. Wang,K.X. Li,W. Liu,X.Y. Guo,X. A. Zhan,K.Y. Wang 아세아·태평양축산학회 2019 Animal Bioscience Vol.32 No.6

Objective: The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of night light regimen on growth performance, antioxidant status and health of Lingnan Yellow broiler chickens from 1 to 21 days of age. Methods: A completely randomized factorial design involved 2 photoperiods (constant lighting [CL], 24 L:0 D and intermittent lighting [INL], 17 L:3 D:1 L:3 D)×2 light intensities (10 lx and 30 lx). A total of one thousand six hundred and eighty 1-d-old Lingnan Yellow broiler chicks were randomly divided into 4 treatments with 6 replicates (70 birds per replicate). The experiment lasted for 21 d. Results: Photoperiods and light intensities had no effect on average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, and mortality of the broiler chickens (p>0.05). The INL had a significant effect on average daily feed intake (p<0.05) of broiler chickens compared with CL. Photoperiod and light intensity had an interactive effect on melatonin (MT) concentration (p<0.05). At CL, reducing light intensity increased MT concentration; INL birds had higher MT but MT concentration was not affected by light intensity. There was an interactive effect on glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) in serum and total antioxidant capability (T-AOC) in liver between photoperiod and light intensity. With the decrease of light intensity, the activities of GPx and CAT in serum and T-AOC in liver increased in CL group (p<0.05). Broiler chickens reared under INL had better antioxidant status and 10 lx treatments had higher activities of CAT in serum than 30 lx (p<0.05). Different photoperiods and light intensities had no effect on malondialdehyde. There was an interaction between photoperiod and light intensity on serum creatine kinase (CK) concentration (p<0.05). At CL, the elevated light intensity resulted in an increase in CK content; INL birds had lower CK concentration especially in low light intensity group. Besides, INL and low light intensity significantly reduced the concentration of serum corticosterone and heat shock protein 70 (p<0.05). Serum immunoglobulin M contents were increased in broiler chickens reared under the INL compared with CL group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Results above suggest that the night light regimen of INL and 10 lx could be beneficial to the broiler chickens from 1 to 21 days of age due to the better health status and electricity savings.

Enhanced production of macrophage inhibitory protein‐1&agr; in patients with Behçet's disease

Kim, W&#x2010,U.,Do, J&#x2010,H.,Park, K&#x2010,S.,Cho, M&#x2010,L.,Park, S&#x2010,H.,Cho, C&#x2010,S.,Kim, H&#x2010,Y. Taylor Francis 2005 Scandinavian journal of rheumatology Vol.34 No.2

<P>Objective: Macrophage inhibitory protein‐1&agr; (MIP‐1&agr;), a C–C chemokine, stimulates the activation and migration of leukocytes. We investigated the expression of MIP‐1&agr; in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) and evaluated the association of the MIP‐1&agr; levels with disease activity of BD. Methods: Serum samples were obtained from 67 BD patients and 30 healthy controls. Simultaneously, whole blood cells were isolated from BD patients (n = 25) and healthy controls (n = 11) and cultured in the absence or presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), and phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA) plus ionomycin. The concentrations of MIP‐1&agr;, interleukin‐8 (IL‐8), regulated on activation, normally T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) were measured in the sera and culture supernatants by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The serum levels of MIP‐1&agr; were higher in BD patients than in healthy controls. When whole blood cells were stimulated with LPS or PMA plus ionomycin, but not PHA, BD patients had higher levels of MIP‐1&agr; in the culture supernatants compared to healthy controls. In sera and culture supernatants of whole blood cells, MIP‐1&agr; levels correlated well with those of RANTES, MCP‐1, and IL‐8 in BD patients. Moreover, patients with active disease had significantly higher levels of serum MIP‐1&agr; levels compared with those with inactive disease. Conclusion: MIP‐1&agr; levels were elevated in patients with BD, and correlated well with IL‐8, RANTES, and MCP‐1 levels. These results suggest that the increased MIP‐1&agr; levels in serum of BD patients may lead to activation and migration of leukocytes, playing a role, like other chemokines, in the pathogenesis of BD.</P>