Selenium Differentially Regulates Flavonoid Accumulation and Antioxidant Capacities in Sprouts of Twenty Diverse Mungbean(Vigna radiata(L.)Wilczek)Genotypes

Seed germination with selenium(Se)is promising for producing Se-biofortified foods.Mungbean(Vigna radiata(L.)Wilczek)sprout is freshly eaten as a salad dressed with sauce,making it superior for Se biofortification.Since the Se safety range for the human body is extremely narrow,it is imperative to evaluate the genotypic responses of mungbean sprouts to Se.This study evaluated the Se enrichment capacity and interaction withflavonoids and antioxidant systems in sprouts of 20 mungbean germplasms.Selenium treatment was done by immersing mung-bean seeds in 20μM sodium selenite solution for 8 h.Afterward,the biomass,Se amounts,flavonoid(particularly vitexin and isovitexin)contents,antioxidant capacity,and key biosynthetic gene expressions were measured.Sprout Se content was 2.0-7.0μg g^(-1) DW among the 20 mungbean germplasms.Selenium treatment differentially affected the biomass,totalflavonoid,vitexin,isovitexin,antioxidant enzyme activities,and antioxidant capacities of the mungbean germplasms.Eight germplasms showed increased biomass(p<0.05),the highest increasing by 127%,but 13 did not phenotypically respond to Se treatment.Seven and six germplasms showed varied levels of vitexin and isovitexin increment after Se treatment,the highest measuring 2.67-and 2.87-folds for vitexin and isovitexin,respectively.Two mungbeanflavonoid biosynthesis genes,chalcone synthase(VrCHS)and chalcone isomerase(VrCHI)were significantly up-regulated in the germplasms with increased vitexin and isovitexin levels(p<0.05).Moreover,Se enrichment capacity was significantly correlated with the vitexin,isovitexin,and antiox-idant capacities.In conclusion,mungbean sprouts could be a useful Se-biofortified food,but the Se enrichment capacity and nutritional response must be determined for each germplasm before commercialization.

Influence of Incomplete Soil Plugs on Bearing Capacities of Bucket Foundations in Clay

Due to the uneven seabed and heaving of soil during pumping,incomplete soil plugs may occur during the installation of bucket foundations,and the impacts on the bearing capacities of bucket foundations need to be evaluated.In this paper,the contact ratio(the ratio of the top diameter of the soil plug to the diameter of the bucket)and the soil plug ratio(the ratio of the soil heave height to the skirt height)are defined to describe the shape and size of the incomplete soil plug.Then,finite element models are established to investigate the bearing capacities of bucket foundations with incomplete soil plugs and the influences of the contact ratios,and the soil plug ratios on the bearing capacities are analyzed.The results show that the vertical bearing capacity of bucket foundations in homogeneous soil continuously improves with the increase of the contact ratio.However,in normally consolidated soil,the vertical bearing capacity barely changes when the contact ratio is smaller than 0.75,while the bearing capacity suddenly increases when the contact ratio increases to 1 due to the change of failure mode.The contact ratio hardly affects the horizontal bearing capacity of bucket foundations.Moreover,the moment bearing capacity improves with the increase of the contact ratio for small aspect ratios,but hardly varies with increasing contact ratio for aspect ratios larger than 0.5.Consequently,the reduction coefficient method is proposed based on this analysis to calculate the bearing capacities of bucket foundations considering the influence of incomplete soil plugs.The comparison results show that the proposed reduction coefficient method can be used to evaluate the influences of incomplete soil plug on the bearing capacities of bucket foundations.

Life-Cycle Bearing Capacity for Pre-Stressed T-beams Based on Full-Scale Destructive Test

To investigate the evolution of load-bearing characteristics of pre-stressed beams throughout their service life and to provide a basis for accurately assessing the actual working state of damaged pre-stressed concrete T-beams,destructive tests were conducted on full-scale pre-stressed concrete beams.Based on the measurement and ana-lysis of beam deflection,strain,and crack development under various loading levels during the research tests,combined with the verification coefficient indicators specified in the codes,the verification coefficients of bridges at different stages of damage can be examined.The results indicate that the T-beams experience complete,incom-plete linear,and non-linear stages during the destructive test process.In the complete linear elastic stage,both the deflection and bottom strain verification coefficients comply with the specifications,indicating a good structural load-bearing capacity no longer adheres to the code’s requirements.In the non-linear stage,both coefficients exhi-bit a sharp increase,resulting in a further decrease in the structure’s load-bearing capacity.According to the pro-visions of the current code,the beam can be in the incomplete linear stage when both values fall within the code’s specified range.The strain verification coefficient sourced from the compression zone at the bottom of theflange is not recommended for assessing the bridge’s load-bearing capacity.

Undrained bearing capacity of obliquely-eccentrically loaded shallow foundations overlying a heterogeneous and inherently anisotropic clay deposit

Clay deposits typically exhibit significant degrees of heterogeneity and anisotropy in their strength and stiffness properties.Such non-monotonic responses can significantly impact the stability analysis and design of overlying shallow foundations.In this study,the undrained bearing capacity of shallow foundations resting on inhomogeneous and anisotropic clay layers subjected to oblique-eccentric combined loading is investigated through a comprehensive series of finite element limit analysis(FELA)based on the well-established lower-bound theorem and second-order cone programming(SOCP).The heterogeneity of normally consolidated(NC)clays is simulated by adopting a well-known general model of undrained shear strength increasing linearly with depth.In contrast,for overconsolidated(OC)clays,the variation of undrained shear strength with depth is considered to follow a bilinear trend.Furthermore,the inherent anisotropy is accounted for by adopting different values of undrained shear strength along different directions within the soil medium,employing an iterative-based algorithm.The results of numerical simulations are utilized to investigate the influences of natural soil heterogeneity and inherent anisotropy on the ultimate bearing capacity,failure envelope,and failure mechanism of shallow foundations subjected to the various combinations of vertical-horizontal(V-H)and vertical-moment(V-M)loads.

Experimental and Numerical Study of Bonding Capacity of Interface between Ultra-High Performance Concrete and Steel Tube

This study investigates the bond performance at the interfacial region shared by Ultra-High Performance Concrete(UHPC)and steel tubes through push-out tests.This study examines how changes in steel fiber volumetric ratio and thickness of steel tube influence the bond strength characteristics.The results show that as the enhancement of the steel tube wall thickness,the ultimate bond strength at the interface improves significantly,whereas the initial bond strength exhibits only slight variations.The influence of steel fiber volumetric ratio presents a nonlinear trend,with initial bond strength decreasing at low fiber content and increasing significantly as fiber content rises.Additionally,finite element(FE)simulations were applied to replicate the experimental conditions,and the outcomes showed strong correlation with the experimental data,confirming the exactitude of the FE model in predicting the bond behavior at the UHPC-Steel interface.These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing the design of UHPC-Filled steel tubes in high-performance structure.

Low frequency damping capacities of commercial pure magnesium

The amplitude-dependent and temperature-dependent low frequency damping capacities of magnesium with 99.96% purity were studied by a dynamic mechanical analyzer. The pure magnesium alloys include CPM1 and CPM2 castings having textures of columnar grains which extraordinarily influence the damping behaviours. The commercial pure magnesium alloy CPM was re-melted to obtain equiaxed grains, which could remove the effect of texture orientation on the damping behaviours of these pure magnesium alloys. The results of strain amplitude-dependent damping spectrums of these pure magnesium alloys show that the pure magnesium with equiaxed grains possesses the highest damping capacity. In temperature-dependent damping plot for all these three pure magnesium alloys, there are two damping peaks P1 and P2 located at 80 and 230 °C, respectively. These two damping peaks are considered to be caused by the interaction between dislocation and point defects, and the movement of grain boundaries, respectively.

Lateral load-carrying capacity analyses of composite shear walls with double steel plates and filled concrete with binding bars

A method is developed to predict the lateral load-carrying capacity of composite shear walls with double steel plates and filled concrete with binding bars(SCBs). Nonlinear finite element models of SCBs were established by using the finite element tool, Abaqus. Tie constraints were used to connect the binding bars and the steel plates. Surface-to-surface contact provided by the Abaqus was used to simulate the interaction between the steel plate and the core concrete. The established models could predict the lateral load-carrying capacity of SCBs with a reasonable degree of accuracy. A calculation method was developed by superposition principle to predict the lateral load-carrying capacity of SCBs for the engineering application. The concrete confined by steel plates and binding bars is under multi-axial compression; therefore, its shear strength was calculated by using the Guo-Wang concrete failure criterion. The shear strength of the steel plates of SCBs was calculated by using the von Mises yielding criterion without considering buckling. Results of the developed method are in good agreement with the testing and finite element results.

Shape design of the reinforcement for bending load-carrying capacity of under-matched butt joint under four-point bending load

To improve the bending load-carrying capacity （ BLCC） of under-matched butt joint under four-point bending load in the elastic stage, the shape design of the reinforcement is studied based on the theoretics of mechanics of materials. The concept, criterion, realization condition and design proposal of equal bending load-carrying capacity （EBLCC） are put forward. The theoretical analysis results have been verified by the finite element method. The simulation results are coincident basically with the ones of theoretical analysis. The research results show that the shape design of the reinforcement of EBLCC can improve BLCC of under-matched butt joint and the unilateral-side type reinforcement can replace double-side symmetry

Comparative evaluation of roundabout capacities under heterogeneous traffic conditions

In heterogeneous traffic conditions, roundabout capacity is described by vehicle and driver characteristics which are different from traffic conditions in homogeneous conditions. In the present study, the capacity of the roundabout is determined using various capacity formulas such as gap acceptance models given by Highway Capacity Manual 2010 （US）, German model （2001）; empirical regression models given by TRRL （UK） and weaving models given by IRC： 65-1976 （India）. In addition, microscopic simulation model like VISSIM （PTV Ger- many） is also used to derive capacity values. Unlike the other capacity estimation models, VISSIM is helpful in estimating capacity values using geometric and driver characteristics and it can also simulate heterogeneous traffic condition accurately. Capacity is estimated after calibrating the simulation model （VISSIM） developed for the roundabout. This is achieved by incorporating different vehicle classes to represent the heterogeneous traffic environment, driver gap acceptance, and lane changeparameters. All the required inputs were extracted from the video using semi-automatic data collection methods. Data are used for the estimation of capacity values from dif- ferent methods mentioned above and for the calibration and validation of simulation model. The capacity values esti- mated form various formulas except German model are distinctly different from the field values and they are either overestimating or underestimating. Analysis of these observations reveals that the capacity values from VISSIM and German models are nearly matching with the field capacity.

EFFECT OF ANNEALING ON DAMPING CAPACITIES OF AS-CAST ZA27 ALLOY

ZA27 alloy was prepared by casting with permanent mold and then annealed at 250℃ for 1-4h. The damping capaciG of the alloy was measured using a testing apparatus based on the cantilever beam technique. It was found that the as-cast ZA27 alloy possesses high damping capacity with the value of 1.3 × 10^4 at 320Hz. After annealed at 250℃ for lh, the damping capacity decreases to 1.1 × 10^-3 and then remains constant even when the annealing time is increased to 4h. The microstructure of the as-cast ZA27 alloy consists of large dendrites of Al-rich PrimaG （x-phases, eutectoid （α ＋ η） and nonequilibrium eutectic phases （α ＋ η ＋ ε）. After annealing at 250℃ for lh, the e phase disappears due to dissolution into the matrix, and the spacing between the flakes of eutectoid increases. The further increase in the annealing time has little effect on the spacing. The damping mechanism of the alloy was discussed considering the thermoelastic damping and defect damping. The value of thermoelastic damping accounts only for 7%-8% in the overall damping in cantilever beam damping measurements and the damping capacity of the ZA27 alloy came mainly from defect damping.

Antioxidant Capacities and Main Reducing Substance Contents in 110 Fruits and Vegetables Eaten in China

The aim of this study was to screen strongly-antioxidant fruits and vegetables and supply practical diet guidance for the public. We used 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric-reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP), 2,2’-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and total reducing power (TRP) assays to investigate antioxidant activities in 110 fruits and vegetables. To analyze the correlation between antioxidant capacities and main reducing substance contents, total phenolic, flavonoid and vitamin C contents were assessed. The results showed great variation in antioxidant activity, and fifteen fruits and vegetables possessed the strongest antioxidant capacities: Toona sinensis, hawthorn, jujube, lotus root, persimmon, red plum, black plum, chilli pepper, star fruit, strawberry, blueberry, cherry, peach, pomegranate and great burdock. Total phenolic contents showed higher correlation with antioxidant capacity when using FRAP and TRP assays than when using the DPPH or ABTS assay. Phenolics and flavonoids, rather than vitamin C, contributed to antioxidant potential in most fruits and vegetables.

Therapeutic capacities of human and mouse skeletal muscle-derived stem cells for a long gap peripheral nerve injury

An overview of a long-gap peripheral nerve therapy： A long- gap peripheral nerve transection injury is an irreparable injury to the living body, and mostly leads to permanent loss of re- lated motor and sensory functions. In such long gap injuries, nerve end-to-end suture is physically impossible. Therefore, bridging a long nerve-gap is critical to re-establish adequate mechanical support for separated nerve ends, and prevent the diffusion of neurotrophic and neurotropic factors secreted by transected stumps （Deumens et al., 2010）.

Mechanical properties and damping capacities of magnesium alloys processed by equal channel angular extrusion(ECAE)

Equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) was applied to commercial pure magnesium and AZ91D alloy. Microstructures of these magnesium alloys before and after ECAE process were observed by optical microscopy (OM). The ultimate tensile strength of pure magnesium and AZ91D alloy processed by ECAE is about 130 and 260MPa, respectively, and it is much higher than that of the as cast alloys. The elongation of them is increased from about 2% to 8%. The strain amplitude dependence damping capacities of these magnesium alloys were investigated by dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). ECAE process largely decreases the damping capacities of pure magnesium from 0.033 to about 0.012 (ε=1×10 -4), but does not show obvious influence on that of AZ91D alloy, which is about 0.0015.

INFLUENCE OF CERIUM CONTENT ON DAMPING CAPACITIES OF AS-SPRAY DEPOSITED HIGH SILICON ALLOY ZA27

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The transformation of LPSO type in Mg-4Y-2Er-2Zn-0.6Zr and its response to the mechanical properties and damping capacities

The transformation of LPSO type in Mg-4Y-2Er-2Zn-0.6Zr during heat treatment and its influence on damping and mechanical properties are reported in this work.Prior to heat treatment,the alloy consisted of a-Mg matrix and lamellar 14H LPSO phases.After 510℃heat treatment,lamellae shortened,and their content decreased.Upon 8h heat treatment,block 18R LPSO phases formed at the grain boundaries while 14H LPSO lamellae disappeared.Presence of block 18R LPSO phases improved mechanical and damping properties of the alloy.The corresponding mechanisms of the influence of LPSO type and morphology on mechanical and damping capacities are discussed.

Influence of cyclic loading on the fracture toughness and load bearing capacities of all-ceramic crowns

The purpose of this study was to investigate how cyclic loading influenced the fracture toughness of hot-press lithium disilicate and zirconia core materials and whether there was an increase in the propensity for crown failure. Two types of all-ceramic crowns including the IPS e.max Press system （n=24） and the Lava zirconia system （n=24）, were selected. Sectioned specimens were subjected to cyclic loading with the maximum magnitude of 200 N （R=0.1） until two million cycles. The material properties including Young＇s modulus （E） and hardness （H） and the fracture toughness （K,c） of the core materials were evaluated using indentation methods （n= 12 each）. The load-bearing capacities of the specimens were examined by means of monotonic load to fracture （n=12 each）. It was found that the material properties, including E, Hand Knc, of the two types of dental ceramics, were reduced. Statistical analysis indicated that there were no significant influences of fatigue loading on material properties E and H for both types of dental ceramics or Kgc for zirconia, while for the IPS e.max Press core, K,c, which was parallel to the direction of the lithium disilicate crystals, was significantly reduced （P-0.001）. A conclusion was drawn that zirconia possesses high mechanical reliability and sustainable capacity to resist fatigue loading, while fatigue loading remarkably degraded the anisotropic mechanical behaviour of hot-press lithium disilicate ceramics.

Analysis of Reliability for 3-State Device Network with Link-Capacities

This paper presents a concept of the 3-state device system with link-capacity, whichcan, besides its normal operative state, assume two different failure states: an open-mode and ashorted-mode failure state. The 3-state system reliability analysis often uses flow required andprobability of the device to compute the probability of the system with link-capacity. We use themethod of max-flow and min-cut theorem, give four theorems to reduce 3-state device network withlink-capacity reliability problems to 2-state problems. For practical, relevant network sizes (up to100 components), the algorithm is fast and efficient.

Using a GIS to Assessment the Load-Carrying Capacity of Soil Case of Berhoum Area, Hodna Basin, (Eastern Algeria)

The concept of load-carrying capacity of the soil can be evaluated by two main components: permissible stress and permissible depth;and therefore, running it begins its assessment that allows an outline of exploitation. Nevertheless, the assessment of the load-carrying capacity made the object of several works of research and many models, based on the multi-criteria analysis, have been established. This work examines the contribution of GIS approach to assessment load-carrying capacity of the soil. This one has been finished in two practicums: 1) Assessment of the capacity of soil by a multi-criteria approach, using the Weighted Sum Model (WSM);2) It brought to use the GIS approach to evaluate and spatialize degree of soil bearing stresses resulting from the buildings, as well as load distribution. The method has been applied to the Berhoum area of Hodna Basin, in eastern Algeria, where each is characterized by its various natural properties and density of equipment. Final results are better in the classification of the degree of load-carrying capacity possible in each site. This results in allowing exploiters to program their optimal designs for the rational management of the area.

Effects of the Dietary Probiotic Clostridium butyricum on Intestine Digestive and Metabolic Capacities, SCFA Content and Body Composition in Marsupenaeus japonicus

A 56-day feeding trial was performed to evaluate the effects of dietary probiotic Clostridium butyricum(CB) on intestine digestive and metabolic capacities, intestine short-chain fatty acids(SCFA) content and body composition of kuruma shrimp Marsupenaeus japonicus. Shrimp s were randomly allocated into 9 tanks, 30 each, and f ed with diets containing different levels of C. butyricum(1×10~9 cfug^(-1)): 0 mgg^(-1) feed(Control), 100 mgg^(-1) feed(CB-100), 200 mgg^(-1) feed(CB-200), while each level was triplicated. The results indicated that compared with the control group, the intestine pepsin(Pep) activity and 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT) concentration of two C. butyricum group s were both increased. Amylase(AM Y) and lipase(LPS) activities wer e only induced in CB-200 group. Alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(A ST) activities of two C. butyricum group s showed no significant change. The α-amylase(AM Y) gene expression was induced in CB-200 group, and tryp sin gene expression of two C. butyricum treated group s were both induced. Intestine SCFA content and body composition analysis showed that the contents of propionic acid, butyric acid and the crude protein of two C. butyricum group s were all higher than those of control. These results revealed that C. butyricum can modulate intestine digestive and metabolic capacities, improve intestine SCFA content and body crude protein content in M. japonicus.

Prediction and verification of heat capacities for pure ionic liquids

The heat capacity of ionic liquids is an important physical property,and experimental measuring is usually used as a common method to obtain them.Owing to the huge number of ionic liquids that can be potentially synthesized,it is desirable to acquire theoretical predictions.In this work,the Conductor-like Screening Model for Real Solvents(COSMO-RS)was used to predict the heat capacity of pure ionic liquids,and an intensive literature survey was conducted for providing a database to verify the prediction of COSMO-RS.The survey shows that the heat capacity is available for 117 ionic liquids at temperatures ranging 77.66-520 K since 2004,and the 4025 data points in total with the values from 76.37 to 1484 J·mol^(-1)·K^(-1) have been reported.The prediction of heat capacity with COSMO-RS can only be conducted at two temperatures(298 and 323 K).The comparison with the experimental data proves the prediction reliability of COSMO-RS,and the average relative deviation(ARD)is 8.54%.Based on the predictions at two temperatures,a linear equation was obtained for each ionic liquid,and the heat capacities at other temperatures were then estimated via interpolation and extrapolation.The acquired heat capacities at other temperatures were then compared with the experimental data,and the ARD is only 9.50%.This evidences that the heat capacity of a pure ionic liquid follows a linear equation within the temperature range of study,and COSMO-RS can be used to predict the heat capacity of ionic liquids reliably.