To explore the effects of maternal nutrition on offspring muscle characteristics, a total of 56 sows were assigned to one of the four dietary groups during gestation: control (CON), or control diets supplemented with methyl donor (MET), bisphenol A (BPA), and combined BPA and MET (BPA+MET). Compared with CON offspring, MET offspring showed a higher meat redness value, but lower glycogen content in the longissimus thoracis (LT). Moreover, compared with CON offspring, MET offspring showed lower LT glycogen synthase (GS) mRNA levels at birth and the finishing stage, and increased methylation at the GS promoter. Prenatal BPA exposure reduced the pH and redness value of meat, but increased the lightness value, lactate content, glycolytic potential and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzyme activity in the LT muscle. Prenatal BPA exposure increased LDH mRNA levels in the LT muscle at birth and the finishing stage, and reduced methylation at the LDH promoter. Thus, maternal MET affects muscle GS and LDH expression via DNA methylation, thereby resulting in persistent effects on pork quality.

This paper systematically compares the numerical implementation and computational cost between the Fourier spectral iterative perturbation method (FSIPM) and the finite element method (FEM) in solving partial differential equilibrium equations with inhomogeneous material coefficients and eigen-fields (e.g., stress-free strain and spontaneous electric polarization) involved in phase-field models. Four benchmark numerical examples, including inhomogeneous elastic, electrostatic, and steady-state heat conduction problems demonstrate that (1) the FSIPM rigorously requires uniform hexahedral (3D) and quadrilateral (2D) mesh and periodic boundary conditions for numerical implementation while the FEM permits arbitrary mesh and boundary conditions; (2) the FSIPM solutions are comparable to their FEM counterparts, and both of them agree with the analytic solutions, (3) the FSIPM is much faster in solving equilibrium equations than the FEM to achieve the accurate solutions, thus exhibiting a greater potential for large-scale 3D computations.

The Homo erectus cranium, mandible and hundreds of associated lithic artifacts found in Lantian (central China) in the 1960s demonstrate that the area was important for hominin habitation during the early to middle Pleistocene. However, the region, which was not adequately researched until the early 2000s, still poses several questions regarding hominin behavior and lithic technology development. In this study, three loess-paleosol sequences (the Jijiawan, Ganyu and Diaozhai sites), from which in situ stone artifacts were recovered, are investigated and dated by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), magnetostratigraphy and stratigraphic correlation. The results demonstrate that the artifacts are located within paleosol layers S4 (correlative with marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) 11), S3 (MIS 9), S2 (MIS 7), and S1 (MIS 5); and within loess layer L1 (MIS 2-4). The main stone-knapping technique used was direct hard hammer percussion. In addition, the technological features of the stone tools found at these sites exhibit little variation, indicating the presence of a long-established, stable technology in the Lantian area. Our observations show that the ancient humans lived episodically on the terraces of the Bahe River from the early Pleistocene, indicating a long history of hominin occupation of the region.

The effects of rare earth oxide Y2O3 additive on microstructure and mechanical properties of proeutectoid ferrite/granular bainitic coating by flux-cored arc welding were investigated. The results show that the primary austenite in the bainitic coating can be refined by Y2O3. The grain size of primary austenite is decreased from 51.2 µm to 40.1 µm with the increased Y2O3. The size of proeutectoid ferrite is decreased significantly and the fraction of the bainite is increased, which in turn facilitates the uniform distribution of the M/A island. Large number of the dislocation martensite is transformed into M/A. With the increased Y2O3 additive, the hardness and the tensile strength of the coating increases from HV 272 ± 13 to HV 312 ± 8 and from 764 ± 10 MPa to 885 ± 12 MPa, respectively. Moreover, the wear resistance of the coating with Y2O3 additive is increased simultaneously.

Central China has experienced stronger summer monsoon during warm periods such as Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 1 and 3, and weaker summer monsoon during cool periods such as MIS 2. The evolution history of Dajiuhu subalpine peatland in central China can help investigate how the expansion and shrinkage of peatland were associated with monsoonal strength over the last glacial–interglacial cycle. Here we apply bulk organic carbon and molecular biomarkers (hopane and n-alkane) to reconstruct the evolution history for the Dajiuhu peatland over the past 40,000 yr. The results indicate fluctuations between lacustrine and peat-like deposition during MIS 3, steady lacustrine deposition during MIS 2, and peatland initiation and expansion during MIS 1 in the Dajiuhu peatland. Therefore, at the glacial–interglacial scale, warmer summer and cooler winter conditions in interglacial periods are crucial to trigger peat deposition, whereas reduced evaporation in glacial period instead of decreased monsoonal-driven precipitation would have played a predominant role in the regional effective moisture balance. However, within the Holocene (MIS 1), monsoonal precipitation changes appear to be the main controller on millennial-scale variations of water-table level of the Dajiuhu peatland.

Although the current literature offers some preliminary information about seeking feedback from various sources, a variable-centered approach has been adopted in which seeking feedback from supervisors and from subordinates was treated separately. We endeavored to extend this work through model-based cluster analysis, a person-centered approach, to identify distinct feedback source profiles in our sample of 209 front-line manager–supervisor dyads. Additionally, we aimed to explore whether such profiles differed between two feedback motives, perceived instrumental value and perceived image cost, as well as managers’ emotion regulation strategies. Results revealed six feedback source profiles and such profiles are associated not only with their perceived image cost and instrumental value but also with their emotion regulation strategies.

Future time orientation is essential if an employee is to be motivated to conduct activities that generate long-term rather than immediate gain, and which may involve risk. Given that feedback seeking requires the employee to slow down and seek input, it is surprising that little is known about the relationship between future time orientation and feedback seeking. Drawing upon psychological ownership theory and construal-level theory, we hypothesized a positive influence of future time orientation on feedback seeking from various sources (i.e., supervisors and co-workers). We also hypothesized job-based psychological ownership as a newly identified motive of feedback seeking and employed it to explain how future time orientation exerts influences. Tested with data from a sample of 228 subordinate–supervisor dyads from China, the results revealed that (1) future time orientation was positively related to feedback seeking from supervisors and co-workers and (2) job-based psychology ownership mediated the relationship between future time orientation and feedback seeking.

Oxide composites are a class of materials with potential uses for nuclear, space, and coating applications. Exploiting their promise, however, requires a detailed understanding of their interfacial structure and chemistry. Using analytical microscopy, we have examined the radiation damage behavior at the interface of a model oxide bilayer, SrTiO3/MgO. The as-synthesized SrTiO3 thin film contained both (100) and (110) oriented domains. We found that after ion beam implantation the (110) domains amorphized at a lower radiation fluence than the (100) domains. Further, a persistent crystalline layer of SrTiO3 forms at the interface even as the rest of the SrTiO3 film amorphizes. We hypothesize that the enhanced amorphization susceptibility of the (110) domains is a consequence of how charged irradiation-induced defects at the interfaces interact with the charged planes of the (110) domains. These results demonstrate the complex relationship between interfacial structure and radiation damage evolution at oxide interfaces.

Laser light trapping in cavities in near-critical density plasmas is studied by two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation. The laser ponderomotive force can create in the plasma a vacuum cavity bounded by a thin overcritical-density wall. The laser light is self-consistently trapped as a half-cycle electromagnetic wave in the form of an oscillon-caviton structure until it is slowly depleted through interaction with the cavity wall. When the near-critical density plasma contains a preformed cavity, laser light can become a standing wave in the latter. The trapped light is characterized as multi-peak structure. The overdense plasma wall around the self-generated and preformed cavities induced by the laser ponderomotive force is found to be crucial for pulse trapping. Once this wall forms, the trapped pulse can hardly penetrate.

Cryphodera sinensis n. sp. is described from ramie (Boehmeria nivea) based on the morphology and molecular analyses of rRNA small subunit (SSU), D2D3 expansion domains of large subunit (LSU D2D3) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS). This new species is characterized by oval females with a distinct subcrystalline layer and pronounced and protruding vulval lip, distinctly concave vulva–anus profile and a vulva–anus distance of 29.5–35.8 μm. Males possess two annuli in the lip region, a stylet 27–32.5 μm in length with round knobs sloping slightly posteriorly, lateral fields with three lines, spicules 20–28 μm long and the presence of a short cloacal tube. Second-stage juveniles possess three lip annuli, a stylet 28–31 μm in length with well-developed knobs projected anteriorly and three lines along the lateral field. The pointed tail, 52–65 μm long, possesses a mucro-like tip and a hyaline region, 24.5–35 μm long. Large phasmids with a lens-like structure are located 2–6 annuli posterior to the anus. Phylogenetic analysis shows that the species has unique SSU, LSU D2D3 and ITS rRNA sequences. Phylogenetic relationships of the three rDNA sequences of C. sinensis n. sp. and other cystoid/cyst nematodes are analysed together with a comparison of other species within the genus Cryphodera.

Fast linear transformer driver (FLTD) has some advantages in repetitive operation compared with traditional pulsed power generators. However, different types of gas switches applied in the field of pulsed power technology in recent years cannot reach the requirements of repetitive operation of FLTD. Therefore, the capability of repetitive operation of a multigap gas switch has been investigated in a circuit similar to the basic discharge loop named as brick in this paper. The switch has been triggered more than 2000 times and the distribution of delay time and switch jitter are analyzed and reported. Also, the self-breakdown voltages of the switch during different segments of the triggered breakdown experiment have been tested. The experimental results indicate that the delay time obeys the Gauss distribution and the jitter of 2000 times of discharge is about 2.3 ns.

We present a bottom-up approach for the construction of "Smart" active defects in colloidal photonic crystals (CPCs). These structures incorporate polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) planar defects embedded in silica CPCs through a combination of evaporation induced self-assembly and microcontact transfer printing. We show how the enormous chemical diversity inherent to PEMs can be harnessed to create chemically active defect structures responsive to solvent vapor pressures, light, temperature as well as redox cycling. A sharp transmission state within the photonic stopband, induced by the PEM defect, can be precisely, reproducibly and in some cases reversibly tuned by these external stimuli.

These materials could find numerous applications as optically monitored chemical sensors, adjustable notch filters and CPC-based tunable laser sources.

Bismuth titanate thin films have been prepared on silicon by metalorganic decompositionMOD) technique with bismuth nitrate and titanium butoxide as source materials. The growth procedure of the Bi2Ti2O7 thin films is discussed in this paper. The surface morphology of the Bi2Ti2O7 film was investigated by using Electric Force Microscope (EFM), and the crystallization of the films was studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD). Bismuth titanate thin film prepared on (100) silicon substrate showed strong (111) orientation. Its dielectric properties and the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics were measured. The dielectric constant of the Bi2Ti2O7 thin films vs. frequency, in the temperature range of 100-800 °C, were studied. The dielectric constant and the dielectric loss for Bi2Ti2O7 are 118 and 0.07 respectively at 100KHz. For the Bi2Ti2O7 films with 0.4µm in thickness annealed at 580 °C for 40 minutes, their leakage current density is 4.06×10−7 A/cm2 at an applied voltage of 15V.

The ferroelectric phase transition has been observed distinctly and the Curie temperature was determined for the Bi2Ti2O7 ceramic films. Capacitance vs. temperature was measured from 27-800 at 1KHz, 100KHz, 100KHz and 1MHz.

Background: Despite the magnitude of dementia, little research on survival duration and prognosis of dementia has been reported in developing countries. This study was conducted to investigate survival times, identify related prognostic factors and construct a prognostic index (PI) for community-based dementia patients in Beijing, China.

Methods: This study is part of the 10/66 Dementia Research Group study in China. One hundred and thirty-seven dementia patients identified by 10/66 dementia criteria among 2162 participants and 137 referent subjects matched by age and sex were followed up for five years.

Results: Ninety-one (66.4%) dementia patients and 51 (37.2%) referent subjects died during the 5-year follow-up (p < 0.01). The median survival time of dementia patients was 4.2 years (95% CI: 3.8–4.6). Severity of dementia (severe/mild, HR: 8.765, 95% CI: 4.436–17.163), substantial disability (HR: 5.503, 95% CI: 3.017–8.135), co-morbidity (HR: 4.149, 95% CI: 2.254–7.736) and age (HR: 1.079, 95% CI: 1.048–1.110) were independent predictors of survival for patients with dementia. Using the PI calculated for each dementia patient, all dementia patients were classified into three groups: low, medium and high risk groups. The median survival times of each group were 5.2 years, 4.4 years and 1.5 years (p < 0.01), respectively.

Conclusions: Survival times of community-based dementia patients were significantly shorter than those of referent subjects. Severity of dementia, substantial disability, co-morbidity and age were independent predictors of survival. The PI derived from the four predictors can stratify the mortality risk and predict life expectancy for community-dwelled dementia patients, although further validation is needed.

China is experiencing a rapid increase in overweight and related conditions. This study describes the geographic variation in BMI levels and the prevalence of overweight and underweight in Chinese adults, and assesses their relations with regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita levels. BMI values and the prevalence of overweight and underweight in 143 522 adults from the Chinese National Nutrition and Health Survey (2002) were calculated according to geographic regions in China. Their correlations with GDP were assessed. Linear and logistic regressions were used to adjust for age, sex and city–country composition. BMI and the prevalence of overweight were highest in the Bohai coastal regions while lowest in southern provinces such as Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Hunan and Fujian. Mean BMI values ranged from 20·72 to 25·48 kg/m2, and the prevalence of overweight ranged from 6·6 to 53·9 %. BMI and the prevalence of overweight were positively correlated with economic development, particularly in the northern regions. However, for regions with similar GDP per capita levels, those in the south had substantially lower BMI and lower prevalence of overweight than those in the north. Interestingly, some southern regions with high GDP per capita had low BMI and low prevalence of overweight. The prevalence of underweight was highest in the south. Substantial geographic variations in the prevalence of overweight and underweight exist in China. Such variations cannot be fully explained by the differences in economic status. China is currently facing challenges of both overweight and underweight but priorities vary in different regions.

A diode-pumped GaAs-passively-Q-switched intracavity-frequency-doubled Nd:YVO4/YVO4 green laser with a MgO-PPLN is presented. The characteristics of the passively Q-switched green laser pulses have been investigated. At the maximum incident pump power of 5.19 W, the minimum green-light pulse width of 26.4 ns has been obtained at a repetition rate of 134 kHz. The rate equations are presented to simulate the process of the green laser, and the numerical solutions of the coupled rate equations accord with the experimental results.

“Structural characterization of a new layered-ternary Ta4AlC3 ceramic” [J. Mater. Res. 21, 2587 (2006)]