Hydrophobicity, swellability, and dispersion are important properties for organo-montmorillonites (OMnt) and have yet to be fully characterized for all OMnt configurations. The purpose of the present work was to examine the preparation of OMnt from the reaction of Ca2+-montmorillonite (Ca2+-Mnt) with a high concentration of surfactant and to reveal the relevant properties of hydrophobicity and dispersion of the resultant OMnt. A series of OMnt samples were prepared using a small amount of water and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) with a concentration more than the CTAB critical micelle concentration (CMC). The relationship between OMnt microstructure and the hydrophobicity and swellability properties was investigated in detail. The resulting OMnt samples were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetry (TG-DTG), water contact angle tests, swelling indices, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The addition of CTAB and water in the OMnt preparation affected the OMnt microstructure and properties. An increase in CTAB concentration led to a more ordered arrangement of cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA+) cations in the interlayer space of the OMnt and a large amount of CTA+ cations on the outer surfaces of the OMnt. The swelling indices and the water contact angles of OMnt samples depended on the distribution of the CTAB surfactant on OMnt and the orientation of the surfactant hydrophilic groups on the inner and on the outer surfaces of OMnt. A maximum swelling index of 39 mL/g in xylene was achieved with an average water contact angle of 62.0° ± 2.0° when the amount of CTAB added was 2 times the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of Mnt and the lowest water to dry Mnt mass ratio was 3 during the preparation of OMnt samples. The platelets of OMnt aggregated together in xylene by electrostatic attraction and by hydrophobic interactions.

Circulating n-3 PUFA, which integrate endogenous and exogenous n-3 PUFA, can be better used to investigate the relationship between n-3 PUFA and disease. However, studies examining the associations between circulating n-3 PUFA and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk were limited, and the results remained inconclusive. This case–control study aimed to examine the association between serum n-3 PUFA and CRC risk in Chinese population. A total of 680 CRC cases and 680 sex- and age-matched (5-year interval) controls were included. Fatty acids were assayed by GC. OR and 95 % CI were calculated using multivariable logistic regression after adjustment for potential confounders. Higher level of serum α-linolenic acid (ALA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), DHA, long-chain n-3 PUFA and total n-3 PUFA were associated with lower odds of CRC. The adjusted OR and 95 % CI were 0·34 (0·24, 0·49, Pfor trend < 0·001) for ALA, 0·57 (0·40, 0·80, Pfor trend < 0·001) for DPA, 0·48 (0·34, 0·68, Pfor trend < 0·001) for DHA, 0·39 (0·27, 0·56, Pfor trend < 0·001) for long-chain n-3 PUFA and 0·31 (0·22, 0·45, Pfor trend < 0·001) for total n-3 PUFA comparing the highest with the lowest quartile. However, there was no statistically significant association between EPA and odds of CRC. Analysis stratified by sex showed that ALA, DHA, long-chain n-3 PUFA and total n-3 PUFA were inversely associated with odds of CRC in both sexes. This study indicated that serum ALA, DPA, DHA, long-chain n-3 PUFA and total n-3 PUFA were inversely associated with odds of having CRC in Chinese population.

We present experimental results of irregular long-crested waves propagating over a submerged trapezoidal bar with the presence of a background current in a wave flume. We investigate the non-equilibrium phenomenon (NEP) induced by significant changes of water depth and mean horizontal flow velocity as wave trains pass over the bar. Using skewness and kurtosis as proxies, we show evidence that an accelerating following current could increase the sea-state non-Gaussianity and enhance both the magnitude and spatial extent of the NEP. We also find that below a ‘saturation relative water depth’ $k_p h_2 \approx 0.5$ ($k_p$ being the peak wavenumber in the shallow area of depth $h_2$), although the NEP manifests, the decrease of the relative water depth does not further enhance the maximum skewness and kurtosis over the bar crest. This work highlights the nonlinear physics according to which a following current could provoke higher freak wave risk in coastal areas where modulation instability plays an insignificant role.

Ticks are a group of blood-sucking ectoparasites that play an important role in human health and livestock production development as vectors of zoonotic diseases. The phylogenetic tree of single genes cannot accurately reflect the true kinship between species. Based on the complete mitochondrial genome analysis one can help to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships among species. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Dermacentor steini (isolate Longyan) was sequenced and compared with the mitochondrial genes of 3 other Chinese isolates (Nanchang, Jinhua and Yingtan). In Dermacentor steini 4 isolates had identical or similar mitochondrial genome lengths and an overall variation of 0.76% between sequences. All nucleotide compositions showed a distinct AT preference. The most common initiation and stop codons were ATG and TAA, respectively. Fewer base mismatches were found in the tRNA gene of D. steini (isolate Longyan), and the vicinity of the control region and tRNA gene was a hot rearrangement region of the genus Dermacentor. Maximum likelihood trees and Bayesian trees indicate that D. steini is most closely related to Dermacentor auratus. The results enrich the mitochondrial genomic data of species in the genus Dermacentor and provide novel insights for further studies on the phylogeographic classification and molecular evolution of ticks.

High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) contribute to dough elasticity and bread baking quality in wheat. In this study, wheat varieties were classified based on their HMW-GS composition into three groups: 1Dx5 (5 + 10, Gaoyou 8901, Xinmai 28, Xinmai 19, Xinmai 26 and Jinbaoyin), 1Dx2 (2 + 12, Zhoumai 24, Xinmai 9 and Yumai) and 1Dx4 (4 + 12, Aikang 58). Sequence analysis showed that 1Dx-GY8901, 1Dx-XM28, 1Dx-XM19 and 1Dx-XM26 were similar to the 1Dx5 gene and clustered on the same branch, while 1Dx-AK58, 1Dx-ZM24, 1Dx-JBY, 1Dx-YM, 1Dx-XM9 and 1Dx-JBY were more similar to the 1Dx2 gene and clustered on the same branch with 1Dx.2.2. There was a mutation of Ser to Cys at position S2, for an extra Cys in the repeat regions of 1Dx-XM19, 1Dx-XM26, 1Dx-XM28 and 1Dx-GY8901. The wheat HMW-GS genes exhibited similar percentages of α-helix, extended strand, β-turn and random coil structure, with ranges of 13.33–13.59, 4.77–5.78, 7.08–9.18 and 72.3–73.94%, respectively. Sequence conservation and the composition of HMW-GS subunits were also analysed for a series of strong gluten wheat varieties, Xinmai 9 (1, 7 + 8, 2 + 12), Xinmai 19 (1, 7 + 9, 5 + 10), Xinmai 26 (1, 7 + 8, 5 + 10) and Xinmai 28 (1, 7 + 9, 5 + 10). The results of this work should facilitate future breeding efforts and provide the theoretical basis for wheat quality improvement.

Manure and chemical fertilizers have different effects on soil properties, the nitrogen cycle, and crop yield. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different fertilizer applications under the same N input on soil physicochemical properties and soil bacterial communities and to explain the contributions of soil properties to grain yield. Manure substitution of chemical fertilizer was conducted in leaching monitoring systems. The study began in 2009 and sampling was carried out in 2014 and 2016. Three fertilizer treatments with the same total N, P, and K application rates and one control treatment were designed as follows: (1) CK, without nitrogen fertilizer; (2) 100%U, whole nitrogen coming from urea; (3) 100%M, whole nitrogen coming from composted cattle manure; and (4) 50%U + 50%M, half nitrogen from composted cattle manure and half nitrogen from urea. Soil organic carbon (SOC) content was positively correlated with total N (TN), NO3−–N, and NH4+–N contents, the mean weight diameter of soil aggregates, and the Shannon diversity index of bacteria, whereas SOC content was not significantly correlated with grain yield. NO3−–N content was positively correlated with grain yield. Substituting half the amount of chemical fertilizer with manure as a nitrogen source improved soil stability, increased bacterial diversity, and enhanced nitrogen supply, while reducing nitrogen loss from ammonia volatilization and nitrogen leaching. Substituting half the amount of chemical fertilizer with manure as a nitrogen source was a more sustainable way to increase grain yield through a sustainable nitrate supply and to reduce N loss.

Composite materials include various components with different structures, which cooperatively increase their properties and extend their application. In this study, the graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) guest material was assembled into the porous of the SiO2 aerogel, which was prepared during the gel process. By this way, the g-C3N4 could be absolutely encapsulated into the porous of the disordered porous SiO2 aerogel. The prepared g-C3N4/SiO2 composite had a loose porous structure and exhibited the much higher photocatalytic activity to the photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light. The disordered porous structure enhanced photocatalytic activity, and the degradation rate reached to 96.42% in 90 min under the irradiation of visible light, which could be attributed to its high surface area and effective electron–hole separation rate. The catalyst had the much higher stability and could be easily recycled utilization. The prepared composites could be applied to degrade organic pollutants in wastewater.

Two phases of diabase-sill-forming magmatism are recorded within the Badu anticline where magmas were emplaced into upper Palaeozoic carbonates and clastic rocks of the Youjiang fold-and-thrust belt in the SW South China Block, China. Zircons from these diabase units yield weighted mean U–Pb ages of 249.2±2.0 Ma and 187.1±3.3 Ma, and magmatic oxygen fugacity values from ‒20 to ‒6 (average of ‒12, equating to FMQ +5) and ‒20 to ‒10 (average of ‒15, equating to FMQ +2), respectively. These data indicate that the sills were emplaced during Early Triassic and Early Jurassic times. The discovery of c. 250 Ma mafic magmatism in this area was probably related to post-flood-basalt extension associated with the Emeishan mantle plume or rollback of the subducting Palaeo-Tethys slab. The c. 190 Ma diabase sills indicate that the southwestern South China Block records Early Jurassic mafic magmatism and lithospheric extension that was likely associated with a transition from post-collisional to within-plate tectonic regimes. The emplacement of diabase intrusions at depth may have driven hydrothermal systems, enabling the mobilization of elements from sedimentary rocks and causing the formation of a giant epigenetic metallogenic domain. The results indicate that high-oxygen-fugacity materials within basement rocks caused crustal contamination of the magmas, contributing to the wide range of oxygen fugacity conditions recorded by the Au-bearing Badu diabase. In addition, data from inherited xenocrystic zircons within the Badu diabase and detrital zircons from basement rocks suggest that the Neoproterozoic Jiangshao suture extends to the south of the Badu anticline.

In the theory of spontaneous combustion, identifying the critical value of the Frank-Kamenetskii parameter corresponds to solving a bifurcation point problem. There are two different numerical methods used to solve this problem—the direct and indirect numerical methods. The latter finds the bifurcation point by solving a partial differential equation (PDE) problem. This is a better method to find the bifurcation point for complex geometries. This paper improves the indirect numerical method by combining the grid-domain extension method with the matrix equation computation method. We calculate the critical parameters of the Frank-Kamenetskii equation for some complex geometries using the indirect numerical method. Our results show that both the curve of the outer boundary and the height of the geometries have an effect on the values of the critical Frank-Kamenetskii parameter, however, they have little effect on the critical dimensionless temperature.

The Richtmyer–Meshkov instability on a ‘V’ shaped air/SF$_{6}$ gaseous interface is experimentally studied in a shock tube. By the soap film technique, a discontinuous interface without supporting mesh is formed so that the initial conditions of the interface can be accurately controlled. Five ‘V’ shaped air/$\text{SF}_{6}$ interfaces with different vertex angles ($60^{\circ }$, $90^{\circ }$, $120^{\circ }$, $140^{\circ }$ and $160^{\circ }$) are created where the ratio of the initial interface amplitude to the wavelength varies to highlight the effects of initial condition on the flow characteristics. The wave patterns and interface morphologies are clearly identified in the high-speed schlieren sequences, which show that the interface deforms in a less pronounced manner with less vortices generated as the vertex angle increases. A regime change is observed in the interface width growth rate near a vertex angle of $160^{\circ }$, which provides an experimental evidence for the numerical results obtained by McFarland et al. (Phys. Scr. vol. T155, 2013, 014014). The growth rate of interface width in the linear phase is compared with the theoretical predictions from the classical impulsive model and a modified linear model, and the latter is proven to be effective for a moderate to large initial amplitude. It is found that the initial growth rate of the interface width is a non-monotone function of the initial vertex angle (amplitude–wavelength ratio), i.e. the interface width growth rate in the linear stage experiences an increase and then a decrease as the vertex angle increases. A similar conclusion was also reached by Dell et al. (Phys. Plasmas, vol. 22, 2015, 092711) numerically for a sinusoidal interface. Finally, the general behaviour of the interface width growth in the nonlinear stage can be well captured by the nonlinear model proposed by Dimonte & Ramaprabhu (Phys. Fluids, vol. 22, 2010, 014104).

The present study was performed to identify the genotype of a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy family and investigate the clinicopathogenic characteristics and prognostic features of relevant genetic abnormalities. Target sequence capture sequencing was performed to screen for pathogenic alleles in a 32-year-old female patient (proband). Sanger sequencing was carried out to verify the results. Sanger sequencing was also performed on other family members to identify allele carriers. A survival analysis was carried out using published literature and our findings. We found that the proband and her son harboured a Gly716Arg sequence variant of the β-myosin heavy chain. Neither the proband’s father nor the mother were carriers of this sequence variant; thus, the mutation was classified as “de novo”. Further survival analysis revealed that female patients appear to have a longer life expectancy compared with males. Our study may provide an effective approach for the genetic diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

A new genus and species, Aclemus patulus n. gen. n. sp., is described based on a new specimen collected from the latest Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation in Inner Mongolia, China. Based on a combination of characters from this fossil, including a homonomous fore- and hindwing, a 3-branched media vein, wings lacking long cilia on their margins; and a cross-vein absent between subcosta and radius, we establish a new genus assigned to the Eolepidopterigidae. In addition, the diagnosis of Longcapitalis excelsus Zhang, Shih, Labandeira and Ren 2013, is emended based on new fossil material.

Dust is a crucial component of galaxies in modifying the observed properties of galaxies. Previous studies have suggested that dust reddening in star-forming galaxies is correlated with star formation rate (SFR), luminosity, gas-phase metallicity (Z), stellar mass (M*) and inclination. In this work we investigate the fundamental relations between dust reddening and physical properties of galaxies, and obtain a well-defined empirical recipe for dust reddening. The empirical formulae can be incorporated into semi-analytical models of galaxy formation and evolution to estimate the dust reddening and facilitate comparison with observations.

We have demonstrated and studied polymeric solid-state dye lasers (SSDLs) fabricated by three-dimensional (3D) polystyrene colloidal crystals and tert-butyl roadamine B (t-Bu RhB) doped Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films with different film thickness. The sandwich-typed resonator cavities with different active layer thickness display single-mode lasing oscillations in the reflection bandgap of the colloidal crystals. The lasing thresholds could be optimized by changing the thickness of t-Bu RhB doped PMMA films, which is as low as 7.43 W/cm2. Adjusting active layer thickness would provide an opportunity to accelerate the development of fabricating polymeric SSDLs with low threshold.

Recent work (Baskin & Laor 2004; Dong et al. 2009a, b) suggests that the Eddington ratio (l ≡ L/LEdd) is the origin of all the significant first-order object-to-object variations of quasar spectral properties from the zeroth-order similarity of AGN spectra; specifically, this includes the PC1 of Boroson & Green (1992), the classic or inverse Baldwin effect (Baldwin 1977), and even blueshifting (i.e., blue asymmetry) of high-ionization emission lines (Dong et al. 2009c).

We have compared the genetic diversity of 24 Chinese weak-winter, Swedish winter and spring Brassica napus accessions by inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs). Using cluster analysis (UPGMA) based on 125 polymorphism bands amplified with 20 primers, the 24 accessions were divided into three groups. Six Swedish winter lines and eight Chinese weak-winter lines were in group I and group II consisted of two Chinese weak-winter lines, Xiangyou15 and Bao81. The third group contained eight Swedish spring lines. Principal coordinates (PCO) analysis showed similar groupings to cluster analysis. Results from cluster analysis and PCO analysis showed very clearly that Chinese weak-winter, Swedish spring and winter accessions were distinguished from each other and Chinese weak-winter accessions in this study were genetically closer to Swedish winter accessions than to Swedish spring accessions. The Chinese weak-winter accessions had larger diversity than the Swedish spring or winter accessions. This study indicated that ISSR is a suitable and effective tool to evaluate genetic diversity among rapeseed germplasm.

The Third Catalogue of Nearby Stars (CNS3) was analyzed. A study of the stellar luminosity function in the solar neighborhood with CNS3 was described. The luminosity function for main sequence stars derived from CNS3 was compared with that from CNS2 and that based on the method of photometric parallaxes. The results from CNS3 for stars with Mv <15.5 were well defined. Luminosity functions for the giants and A, F, G, K and M type main sequence stars are also given, based on CNS3.

Selective tungsten chemical vapor deposition (W-CVD) is one of the most attractive technique for filling deep submicron contact hole and via hole for the ULSI application. In this work, we firstly find out the anomalous selective W growth for the contact hole. The tungsten only nucleates from the side ring of the contact hole bottom. Several predeposition treatments prior to W growth can improve this anomalous feature and excellently selective W growth can be achieved. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) is utilized to investigate the interface of Si/W. A model has been proposed to explain this anomalous selective tungsten growth.

In this work, we study the thermal stability and interaction between SiOF and Cu. Blanket SiOF films with various F concentration were deposited by PE-CVD. A dielectric constant as low as 3.2 was obtained. Copper were deposited on these SiOF and a series of post-deposition anneal were performed. Dielectric constant of SiOF was measured after deposition and again after anneal. AES and SIMS depth profile are utilized to determine the interdiffusion between Cu and SiOF under different annealing conditions. Breakdown voltage and dielectric constant were determined form C-V and I-V measurement using a MIS ( Cu/ SiOF/ p-Si) diode. This results of leakage current measurement and flat band shift measurement suggest that the fluorine in the SiOF film will retard the cu diffusion.