An accelerated method to evaluate thymopentin release from microspheres in vitro

To design an accelerated method to evaluate thymopentin release from PLGA microspheres in vitro. Microspheres were prepared by double emulsion technique, using poly（lactide-co-glycolide） （PLGA） as carrier. At higher medium temperature （45℃, 50℃ and 55℃）, an accelerated release testing in short time was studied and correlated with the conventional release （37℃） in vitro. The release in vitro of thymopentin from PLGA microspheres at 45 ℃, 50℃ and 55℃ was significantly accelerated （P 〈 0.05）. In particular, at 50℃, an accelerated release （30 h） of the hydrophilic peptide from the PLGA matrix was achieved and correlated well with the conventional release （30 d）. An accelerated release testing in vitro at higher temperature could be used to monitor thymopentin release from PLGA microspheres.

Characteristics of Strain Release before Large Earthquakes of M≥7. 0 in the Chinese Mainland

The enumerating algorithm has been introduced into the fitting procedure of the ASR model. Based on the detailed study of 21 large earthquakes with M≥6. 8 in the Chinese Mainland,the statistical features of seismic strain release before large earthquakes have been summarized. In the mass,the strain release models can be divided into five types. The first is the DA model,in which the strain release accelerates in broader areas and decelerates in small areas around the epicenter. Approximately 38% of earthquake samples are of this type. The second is the AD model,in which the strain release decelerates in broader areas and accelerates in smaller areas around the epicenter with an occupying ratioof approximately 19%. The third is ASR,in which only accelerating strain release can be observed. Cases of this model amount to about 14%. The fourth is DSR,in which only decelerating strain release can be checked,amounting to about 24%. There is only one earthquake sample of the fifth type (LSR),which shows a linear strain release. There is a 3～6 years difference in the duration of pre-shock sequences between the accelerating and decelerating models. This means that seismic quiescence against a background of increased seismicity of small earthquakes before large earthquakes are a typical feature in general. For the DA model,the average size of critical regions for steady accelerating and decelerating strain release is about 260km to 400km and 100km to 200km,respectively,3 to 5 times and 1 to 2 times the rupture size of an earthquake of magnitude 7. 0. The AD model is the opposite of the DA model. The model parameter,m value,has good stability. The ratio of ASR is about the same for accelerating seismic strain release phenomena,no matter what the strain release models are,or how large the strain release quantity is. With regard to decelerating seismic strain release phenomena, the DA model has the most distinctive decelerating strain release characteristic and is the typical feature of seismic strain release,i. e. "decelerating in-accelerating out seismic strain model".

Experimental research on critical point hy- pothesis

According to the critical point hypothesis (CPH), energy release would accelerate in power law before occurrence of large earthquakes or failure of brittle materials. In the paper, CPH was studied by acoustic emission experiments of large-scale rock samples. Three kinds of rock samples were used in the experiments. The tri-axial loading con- dition was applied under different loading histories. The released elastic energy (Acoustic emission) was recorded with acoustic emission technique as microcracks emerged and developed inside the rock samples. The experimen- tal results gave a further verification on the CPH. The elastic energy release of rock samples would accelerate be- fore the failure even under different experimental conditions. Primary studies were also made on medium-term earthquake prediction by using accelerating energy release (AER) in the paper.