Chalkiness Characters and Scanning Electron Microscope Observation of Rice Grain Endosperm of Japonica Varieties in Southern Henan

Chalkiness characters affect not only the grain appearance,milling,eating and cooking qualities but also the grain nutritional quality in rice,thus it is one of the most important traits in rice. It is very important for us to investigate the relation of the chalkiness formation and the development of endosperm structure and starch granule of different rice varieties. Here,we have investigated the chalkiness characters such as chalkiness rate,chalkiness degree and chalkiness area in 15 japonica rice varieties from southern Henan. Furthermore,the endosperm structure and starch granules of rice grain were also observed with scanning electron microscope. The results showed that the 15 japonica varieties have a significantly linear relationship between the chalkiness rate and chalkiness degree. Among the varieties,the biggest difference is the chalkiness rate,the second is the chalkiness area,and the last is the chalkiness degree. Moreover,there is a certain correlation between the distribution of starch granules,the arrangement of endosperm cells and the occurrence of grain chalkiness in the different rice varieties. For the same variety,the starch granules of chalky and non-chalky grains have obvious difference,while the starch granules from the transparent part of chalky rice and non-chalky rice do not have significant difference. The results would provide useful references for the improvement of grain quality in rice.

Gill surface architecture of mullet, Mugil soiuy (Basilewsky) : A scanning electron microscope study

Specimens of Mugil soiuy were collected from the coastal waters of Bohai Sea in Tianjin. The gillfilaments were cut with fine scissors and soaked for 24h in a fixative consisting of 2.5% glutaralde-hyde in 0.1 mol lphosporic acid buffer. After three washes in a buffer solution the tissue was fixedin a mixture of 1% osmium tetraoxide at 4℃ for 1h. The tissue was dehydrated in graded ethandethanols and dried. The tissue was examined and photographed with an SEM at an accelerating voltage

Visualization of Methamphetamine-Contaminated Fingermarks on Glass Surfaces by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope for Forensic Investigation

Background:Fingermark is an individual’s primary identification source.It is helpful in determining individuals involved in illegal activities and is frequently encountered in clandestine laboratories.During forensic investigation,the critical question to be answered is whether a fingermark was left on a surface before or after the initiation of an unlawful activity.Aims and Objectives:This study aimed to investigate the visualization of methamphetamine-contaminated fingermarks on glass surfaces and estimate the immediacy of their depositions.Materials and Methods:In this study,the prior-deposition contaminated fingermarks,i.e.,fingermarks deposited a surface priorly contaminated by methamphetamine,and the postdeposition contaminated fingermarks,i.e.,fingermarks deposited on a clean surface but subsequently contaminated with methamphetamine were visualized and compared using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope(FESEM).Results:Under FESEM,the latent fingermarks and the crystalline structure of methamphetamine were clearly visualized.The postdeposition contaminated fingermarks appeared in smudge conditions in all the three replicate samples,where the ridge and nonridge areas could not be well-distinguished.On the contrary,the prior-deposition contaminated fingermark demonstrated distinct separations between ridges and nonridges.However,the application of fingerprint powders reduced the possibility to determine the immediacy of deposition.Conclusion:To conclude,both prior-deposition contaminated fingermarks and postdeposition contaminated fingermarks can be discriminated,providing information on the instance when a fingermark was left on a surface.

Recent advances in nanorobotic manipulation inside scanning electron microscopes

A scanning electron microscope(SEM)provides real-time imaging with nanometer resolution and a large scanning area,which enables the development and integration of robotic nanomanipulation systems inside a vacuum chamber to realize simultaneous imaging and direct interactions with nanoscaled samples.Emerging techniques for nanorobotic manipulation during SEM imaging enable the characterization of nanomaterials and nanostructures and the prototyping/assembly of nanodevices.This paper presents a comprehensive survey of recent advances in nanorobotic manipulation,including the development of nanomanipulation platforms,tools,changeable toolboxes,sensing units,control strategies,electron beam-induced deposition approaches,automation techniques,and nanomanipulation-enabled applications and discoveries.The limitations of the existing technologies and prospects for new technologies are also discussed.

Electronic Scanning of Uterine Endometrium in Postpartum Cow

Two postpartum cows were used to study the ultrastructural changes of uterine endometrium by using scanning electron microscope.The results showed that the process of repair of uterine endometrium after calving was demonstrated by scanning electron microscope through a series of endometrium biopsy.Some part of the endometrium was damaged after calving and its adjacent endometrium cells became necrosis and exfoliated during the first 7 days post-partum;the cilium and microvillus of the epithelial cell in the undamaged area of the endometrium disappeared.By 26 days postpartum the damaged area reduced and the cilium and microvillus increased in their numbers.The damaged tissues were all repaired by day 60 postpartum.

COEXISTENCE OF OSTEOARTHRITIS AND OSTEOPOROSIS IN FEMORAL HEAD: A SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY

Objective To ascertain the coexistence of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis in the femoral head. Methods During total hip replacement for osteoarthritis of hip joint in 12 female patients with an average age of 56 years, the femoral heads were procured. After processing the femoral had, specimens were studied under scanning electron microscope. Results Different degrees of osteoarthritic lesions (characterized by degeneration of articular cartilage and hyperplasia of subchondral bone tissues) could coexust with osteoporotic lesions (characterized by icicle-like trabeculae ) in the femoral had. The hyperplas- tic bone tissues of osteoarthritis lay in the vicinity of icicle-like trabeculae. However, they did not care into contact, nor did they exert influence on each other. Coexistence of these two different lesions covered a brood territory extending from the deep surface of subchondral bone plate to the head-neck junction of femoral head. Conclusion The results suggest that osteoarthritis and osteoporosis do coexist in the femoral head.

Scanning Electron Microscopic Observation on Morphologic Characteristics of Sperms in Uremic Patients

To observe the morphologic characteristics of spermatozoon ultramicroscopic structure in uremic subjects.Method Semen sample from lO patients with uremia and 5 healthy men were observed under light microscope and scanning electronic microscope.Results Abnormalities were found in sperms of uremic patients either in the sperm head （acrosome, acrosomic deficit, nuclear abnormality, pointed head, headless and double head of spermatozoon）, neck （rupture, separation and enlargement）, or tail （mitochondrial swelling, mitochondrial deficit, tailless, double tail, short tail and curled tail）; whereas none of the above-mentioned abnormalities was observed in healthy men. Conclusion Sperms of uremic patients had many morphologic and structural abnormalities in the head, neck and tail.

Acoustical properties of a 3D printed honeycomb structure filled with nanofillers:Experimental analysis and optimization for emerging applications

The novelty of this research lies in the successful fabrication of a 3D-printed honeycomb structure filled with nanofillers for acoustic properties,utilizing an impedance tube setup in accordance with ASTM standard E 1050-12.The Creality Ender-3,a 3D printer,was used for printing the honeycomb structures,and polylactic acid(PLA)material was employed for their construction.The organic,inorganic,and polymeric compounds within the composites were identified using fourier transformation infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy.The structure and homogeneity of the samples were examined using a field emission scanning electron microscope(FESEM).To determine the sound absorption coefficient of the 3D printed honeycomb structure,numerous samples were systematically developed using central composite design(CCD)and analysed using response surface methodology(RSM).The RSM mathematical model was established to predict the optimum values of each factor and noise reduction coefficient(NRC).The optimum values for an NRC of 0.377 were found to be 1.116 wt% carbon black,1.025 wt% aluminium powder,and 3.151 mm distance between parallel edges.Overall,the results demonstrate that a 3Dprinted honeycomb structure filled with nanofillers is an excellent material that can be utilized in various fields,including defence and aviation,where lightweight and acoustic properties are of great importance.

Detection of Bisphenol A (BPA) in Plastic Bottles Using Vertical Cultivation at Various Temperatures

Polycarbonate plastics containing bisphenol A (BPA) used to manufacture drinking water bottles. Kurdistan region in northern Iraq is a developed area with increased pollution from plastic bottles. Trace amounts of BPA have been detected in bottled water samples. The absorption of BPA was measured with HPLC using a vertical cultivation system with Bulbs of the Allium Cepa plant planted in these plastic bottles with monitored growth. Vertical cultivation was found to have a low level of BPA in the plant cells, making it a safe cultivation method under specific climate conditions. The mean concentration of BPA in vertical cultivation is 0.19 ug/ml (3.8 ng for a 20 uL injection), and the Limit of Quantification (LOQ) is 0.63 ug/ml (12.7 ng for 20 uL injection). While Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) shows that the concentrations are relatively low in water samples stored at room temperature compared to those exposed to direct sunlight (40°C) and water bottle samples stored at (-4°C), The correlation coefficients were found to be good (0.9992). SEM is used for plastic bottle samples stored at different temperatures. The images identify compound decay and explore the morphology of BPA in manufactured plastic materials.

Secondary electron emission yield from vertical graphene nanosheets by helicon plasma deposition

The secondary electron emission yields of materials depend on the geometries of their surface structures.In this paper,a method of depositing vertical graphene nanosheet(VGN)on the surface of the material is proposed,and the secondary electron emission(SEE)characteristics for the VGN structure are studied.The COMSOL simulation and the scanning electron microscope(SEM)image analysis are carried out to study the secondary electron yield(SEY).The effect of aspect ratio and packing density of VGN on SEY under normal incident condition are studied.The results show that the VGN structure has a good effect on suppressing SEE.

Monte Carlo Simulation of the Coaxial Electrons Backscattering from Thin Films

By using the Monte Carlo method, we simulated the trajectories of coaxial backscattering electrons corresponding to a new type of scanning electron microscope. From the calculated results, we obtain a universal expression, which describes with good accuracy the backscattering coefficient versus film thickness under all conditions used. By measuring the coaxial backscattering coefficient and using this universal formula, the thickness of thin films can be determined if the composition is known.

Bacteriological and electron microscopic examination of primary intrahepatic stones

BACKGROUND: Primary intrahepatic cholelithiasis is usually combined with biliary tract infection. This research was undertaken to investigate the relationship between intrahepatic stones and biliary tract infection. METHODS: Thirty-five bile samples and 30 stones specimens were cultured for bacteria and 12 stones specimens were examined with a scan electron microscope (SEM) or a transmission electron microscope (TEM). RESULT: 94.2% bile samples and 96.7% stones specimens were positive in bacteria culture. Bacteria were found in stones under SEM and TEM. CONCLUSION: Bacteria in stones are associated with the infection of the biliary tract.

钢渣粉/聚酯纤维沥青混合料水稳定性研究

为了实现钢渣粉在沥青路面中的可持续利用,同时结合河南省冬季冰雪天气下路面的除冰情况,研究了掺有聚酯纤维与钢渣粉沥青混合料的水稳定性。制备4种聚酯纤维掺量(0、0.3%、0.4%、0.5%)AC-13沥青混合料开展复盐(掺量配比为NaCl∶CaCl2∶CH2COONa=1∶1∶2)冻融循环劈裂试验,结果表明聚酯纤维掺量为0.4%时,沥青混合料水稳定最好;在最佳纤维掺量下制备5种替代率(0、25%、50%、75%、100%)钢渣粉沥青混合料,采用冻融劈裂抗拉强度比(freeze-thaw splitting tensile strength ratio,TSR)确定最佳钢渣粉替代率为75%,混合料水稳定性最佳;通过冻融腐蚀因子K评价沥青混合料的抗侵蚀性能,结果表明:聚酯纤维/钢渣粉沥青混合料的抗侵蚀性能最强,聚酯纤维沥青混合料次之,普通石灰岩沥青混合料最弱。通过电镜扫描(scanning electron microscope,SEM)、X射线衍射(X-ray diffraction,XRD)技术探索钢渣粉/聚酯纤维沥青混合料界面黏附作用的改性机理。微观分析表明:掺量为0.4%的聚酯纤维形成的纤维网状结构以及沥青、钢渣粉(75%的替代率)和矿粉三者存在界面能量作用可以很好地改善沥青混合料的水稳定性。

New and interesting diatoms from the Shimen Wetwalls,Yunnan Province,China.Ⅱ.The diatom genus Nupela Vyverman&Compère(Bacillariophyceae)

We detailed the valve morphology of five new species of diatom genus Nupela from wetwall communities in Yunnan Province,China,with light and scanning electron microscope.The five new species demonstrate great variability within the genus,as three of them are biraphid and two are monoraphid.In addition,variation was noted in the structure of internal proximal raphe ends,with some species having anchor-shaped ends and other species have hooked ends.The genus Nupela has grown considerably in 30years since it was first proposed,going from a monotypic genus to over 85 taxa.Diagnosis of the genus is based on the presence of an external covering over the areolae.We discussed the systematic placement of Nupela within the naviculoid diatoms.Yunnan Province appears to harbor many endemic diatom taxa,and many regions of the province have yet to be studied.

Effect of Water Absorption on the Mechanical Property and Failure Mechanism of Hollow Glass Microspheres Composite Epoxy Resin Solid Buoyancy Materials

To study the water absorption of hollow glass microspheres(HGMs)composite epoxy resin solid buoyancy materials in the marine environment and its effect on the mechanical properties,the water absorption was measured by immersing the material in distilled water for 36 days at ambient temperature and fitted to Fick’s second law.The strength of materials before and after water absorption were tested by uniaxial experiments,and the effects of the filling ratio and water absorption on the mechanical properties of the materials were analyzed and explained.Finally,the failure modes and mechanism of the hollow glass microspheres composite material were explicated from the microscopic level by scanning electron microscope(SEM).This research will help solve the problems of solid buoyancy materials in ocean engineering applications.

Experimental Study on the Compressive Strength of Concrete with Different Wheat Straw Treatment Techniques

The treatment of wheat straw is very difficult,and its utilization rate is very low;accumulation causes air pollution and even fire.To make full use of wheat straw resources,we examined how using different physical and chemical methods to treat the wheat straw which can improve its strength abilities,or enhance the activity of wheat straw ash.In terms of concrete additives,it can reduce the amount of cement used.In this paper,we found that alkali treatment can significantly improve the tensile strength of wheat straw fiber,but polyvinyl alcohol treatment has no obvious effect on the strength of wheat straw fiber after alkali treatment.At the same time,we analyzed the wheat straw fiber microstructure through scanning electron microscopy,and we also studied the wheat straw ash chemical composition after 600℃ high-temperature treatment.Through the compressive strength test,we found that the strength of concrete decreases with increasing of wheat straw fiber and wheat straw powder content,and the compressive strength of concrete with wheat straw ash instead of 5%cement decreases little,and the strength of the concrete also decreases with the increasing of wheat straw ash.Through the macroscopic observation of the failure form of concrete,we found that the failure form of concrete with wheat straw ash is similar to that of common concrete,while the failure degree of concrete with wheat straw fiber and wheat straw powder is weakened.Through the scanning electron microscope test of the concrete,it was found that wheat straw fiber has an effect on the cracking of concrete and the inner compactness of concrete can also be affected by adding wheat straw ash and wheat straw powder.

First observation of Karlodinium venef icum from the East China Sea and the coastal waters of Germany

Harmful algal blooms often occurred in the East China Sea （ECS） and the German coastal waters of the North Sea but Karlodinium veneficum had not been taxonomically reported. Two strains of Karlodinium （LAMB090611 and LAMB010601） were isolated from the two areas in 2009. The morphological characteristics and molecular phylogeny of two strains are compared on the basis of observation of a light microscope, a scanning electron microscope （SEM）, a laser scanning micro-scope （LSM） and an internal transcribed spacer （ITS） sequence data. The mean cell length of strain LAMB090611 is （14.2 ± 1.8） μm （range 11.1–18.7 μm） and mean width is （10.8 ± 1.5） μm （range 8.2– 14.7 μm）. The mean cell length of strain LAMB010601 is （15.1 ± 1.2） μm （range 12.7–17.9 μm） and the mean width is （11.4 ± 1.1） μm （range 9.1–14.7 μm）, respectively. The two strains are similar in morphological characteristics, including a straight apical groove, distinct ventral pore, sulcal extension, cingulum displacement, two or four irregular shaped chloroplasts within the cell and almost equal sized epicone and hypocone. The large and round nucleus is located at the center or at the hypocone of the cell. The sequence length of the ECS strain LAMB090611 and the German strain LAMB010601 is 640 and 646 bp, respectively. The GC content is 49%. The nucleotide similarity of the two strains is 98.1%. The sequence divergence is 0.003. Both strains are confirmed as Karlo-dinium veneficum （D. Ballantine） J. Larsen and this is the first taxonomic report from China and Germany coastal waters. The population dynamics of this toxic species in the ECS and German coastal waters needs to be investigated in the near future.

Investigation of meso-failure behaviors of Jinping marble using SEM with bending loading system

In th is study, th e m eso-failure m ech an ism an d fracture surface o f Jinping m arble w ere investigated bym ean s o f scanning electro n m icroscope （SEM） w ith ben d in g loading system and laser-scanner equipment. The Y antang an d B aishan m arbles specim ens from Jinping II hyd ro p o w er sta tio n w ere used. Testresu lts show th a t th e fracture to u g h n ess and m echanical behaviors o f Y antang m arble w ere basicallyh ig h er th a n th o se o f Baishan m arble. This is m ainly d u e to th e fact th a t Baishan m arble co n tain s a largep ercen tag e o f d o lom ite an d m in o r mica. Crack pro p ag atio n p a th and fracture m orphology in d icated th a tth e d irection o f ten sile stress has a significant effect on th e m echanical behaviors an d fracture toughnesso f B aishan m arble. For Yantang an d B aishan m arbles, a large n u m b e r o f m icrocracks a ro u n d th e m aincrack tip w ere observed w h e n th e directio n o f ten sile stress w as parallel to th e bed d in g plane.C onversely, few m icrocracks o ccurred w h e n th e directio n o f ten sile stress w as p erp en d icu lar to th ebed d in g plane. The presen ce o f a large n u m b e r o f m icrocracks a t th e m ain crack tip d ecreased th e globalfracture to u g h n ess o f m arble. The results o f th re e -p o in t ben d in g te sts show ed th a t th e average bearingcapacity o f intact m arble is 3.4 tim es th e notch ed m arble, b u t th e ductility p ro p e rty o f th e defectivem arble afte r p eak load is b e tte r th a n th a t o f th e intact m arble. H ence, large d efo rm atio n m ay beg en erated before failure o f in tact m arbles a t Jinping II h y d ro p o w er station. The fractal d im en sio n o ffracture surface w as also calculated by th e cube covering m eth o d . O bservational resu lt show ed th a t th elargest fractal dim en sio n o f Y antang m arble is cap tu red w h e n th e directio n o f ten sile stress is parallel toth e bedding plane. H ow ever, th e fractal d im en sio n o f fracture surface o f Yantang an d Baishan m arblesw ith ten sile stress vertical to th e bed d in g plane is relatively sm all. The fractal d im en sio n can also be usedto characterize th e ro ughness o f fracture surface o f rock m aterials.

The influence of four dual-cure resin cements and surface treatment selection to bond strength of fiber post

In this study, we evaluate the influence of post surface pre-treatments on the bond strength of four different cements to glass fiber posts. Eighty extracted human maxillary central incisors and canines were endodontically treated and standardized post spaces were prepared. Four post pre-treatments were tested： （i） no pre-treatment （NS, control）, （ii） sandblasting （SA）, （iii） silanization （SI） and （iv） sandblasting followed by silanization （SS）. Per pre-treatment, four dual-cure resin cements were used for luting posts： DMG LUXACORE Smartmix Dual, Multilink Automix, RelyX Unicem and Panavia F2.0. All the specimens were subjected to micro push-out test. Two-way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc tests were performed （α=0.05） to analyze the data. Bond strength was significantly affected by the type of resin cement, and bond strengths of RelyX Unicem and Panavia F2.0 to the fiber posts were significantly higher than the other cement groups. Sandblasting significantly increased the bond strength of DMG group to the fiber posts.

Antimicrobial effect of alexidine and chlorhexidine against Enterococcus faecalis infection

A previous study demonstrated that alexidine has greater affinity for the major virulence factors of bacteria than chlorhexidine.The aim of this study was to compare the antimicrobial activity of 1%alexidine with that of 2%chlorhexidine using Enterococcus faecalis-infected dentin blocks.Sixty bovine dentin blocks were prepared and randomly divided into six groups of 10 each.E.faecalis was inoculated on 60 dentin blocks using the Luppens apparatus for 24 h and then the dentin blocks were soaked in 2%chlorhexidine or 1%alexidine solutions for 5 and 10 min,respectively.Sterile saline was used as a control.The antimicrobial efficacy was assessed by counting the number of bacteria adhering to the dentin surface and observing the degradation of bacterial shape or membrane rupture under a scanning electron microscope.Significantly fewer bacteria were observed in the 2%chlorhexidine-or 1%alexidine-soaked groups than in the control group(P<0.05).However,there was no significant difference in the number of bacteria adhering to the dentinal surface between the two experimental groups or between the two soaking time groups(P>0.05).Ruptured or antiseptic-attached bacteria were more frequently observed in the 10-min-soaked chlorhexidine and alexidine groups than in the 5-min-soaked chlorhexidine and alexidine groups.In conclusion,10-min soaking with 1%alexidine or 2%chlorhexidine can be effective against E.faecalis infection.