Acceleration of DNA Replication of Klenow Fragment by Small Resisting Force

DNA polymerases are an essential class of enzymes or molecular motors that catalyze processive DNA syntheses during DNA replications. A critical issue for DNA polymerases is their molecular mechanism of processive DNA replication. We have proposed a model for chemomechanical coupling of DNA polymerases before, based on which the predicted results have been provided about the dependence of DNA replication velocity upon the external force on Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I. Here, we performed single molecule measurements of the replication velocity of Klenow fragment under the external force by using magnetic tweezers. The single molecule data verified quantitatively the previous theoretical predictions, which is critical to the chemomechanical coupling mechanism of DNA polymerases. A prominent characteristic for the Klenow fragment is that the replication velocity is independent of the assisting force whereas the velocity increases largely with the increase of the resisting force,attains the maximum velocity at about 3.8 pN and then decreases with the further increase of the resisting force.

Efficient Preparation of Nanoparticle-Reinforced Nickel-based Composite Coating with Highly Preferred(220)Orientation

Nanoparticle-reinforced metal matrix composite coatings have significant potential in mechanical part surface strengthening owing their excellent mechanical properties.This paper reports a phenomenon in which the grain orientation gradually evolves to(220)as the deposition current density increases when preparing nanoparticle-reinforced nickel-based composite coatings through jet electrodeposition(JED).During the preparation of the Ni-SiC composite coatings,the deposition current density increased from 180 A/dm2 to 220 A/dm2,and TC(220)gradually increase from 41.4%to 97.7%.With an increase of TC(220),the self-corrosion potential increases from−0.575 to−0.477 V,the corrosion current density decreases from 9.52μA/cm^2 to 2.76μA/cm^2,the diameter of the corrosion pits that after 10 days of immersion in a 3.5 wt%NaCl solution decreases from 278–944 nm to 153–260 nm,and the adhesion of the coating increases from 24.9 N to 61.6 N.Compared a conventional electrodeposition(CED),the Ni-SiC composite coating using JED has the advantages of a smooth surface morphology,high corrosion resistance,and strong adhesion,which are more obvious with an increase in TC(220).

Experimental investigation on debris flow resistance and entrainment characteristics:effects of the erodible bed with discontinuous grading

Debris flow deposits in natural channels typically have a wide grain size distribution(GSD).The effects of bed sediment GSD on the basal entrainment rate are neglected in current debris flow erosion models.Field investigations have detected three different vertical graded bedding structures:normal,inverse,and mixed-gradation,characterized by discontinuous gradation sediment and almost without intermediate-sized particles.This study conducted small-scale flume experiments to investigate the debris flow resistance forces and entrainment characteristics by incorporating the effects of discontinuous grading bed sediments.Discontinuous graded bed sediments with varying fine particle content,volumetric water content(VWC),and roundness were designed for comparison.Debris flow resistance in erodible beds generally increased in the group with gravel of larger-sized coarse particle,lower roundness,and higher bed sediment VWC.For discontinuous grading bed sediment,the entrained depths increased in the group with gravel of smaller coarse particle sizes,larger amounts of fine particles,and higher sediment roundness,and decreased with larger VWCs.This abnormality may be attributed to the disproportionately large effects of viscous flow resistance in our small-scale flume tests.The maximum erosion rates of the continuous bed sediment were higher than those of the corresponding discontinuous bed sediment with the same maximum coarse gravel size.This is because,for discontinuous grading bed sediments,localized failure of intermediate-sized sediment grains may cause a large-scale collapse of the solid grain skeleton and enhance basal entrainment rates.A revised formula for calculating the debris flow entrainment rate is proposed by incorporating the kurtosis coefficient,which describes the distribution of discontinuous bed sediments and fine particle content.Our revised formula could facilitate an elaborate estimation of basin erosion and sediment runoff and reveal the development and recession of debris flow fans.

New expression for collision efficiency of spherical nanoparticles in Brownian coagulation

The collision efficiency of dioctyl phthalate nanoparticles in Brownian coag- ulation has been studied. A set of collision equations is solved numerically to find the relationship between the collision efficiency and the particle radius varying in the range of 50 nm to 500 nm in the presence of Stokes resistance, lubrication force, van der Waals force, and elastic deformation force. The calculated results are in agreement with the experimental data qualitatively. The results show that the collision efficiency decreases with the increase of the particle radii from 50 nm to 500 nm. Based on the numerical data, a new expression for collision efficiency is presented.

Analysis of the resistive switching behaviors of vanadium oxide thin film

We demonstrate the polarization of resistive switching for a Cu/VOx/Cu memory cell.The switching behaviors of Cu/VOx/Cu cell are tested by using a semiconductor device analyzer（Agilent B1500A）,and the relative micro-analysis of I-V characteristics of VOx/Cu is characterized by using a conductive atomic force microscope（CAFM）.The I-V test results indicate that both the forming and the reversible resistive switching between low resistance state（LRS） and high resistance state（HRS） can be observed under either positive or negative sweep.The CAFM images for LRS and HRS directly exhibit evidence for the formation and rupture of filaments based on positive or negative voltage.The Cu/VOx/Cu sandwiched structure exhibits reversible resistive switching behavior and shows potential applications in the next generation of nonvolatile memory.

On Determining the Optimal Lifting Law of the Walking Propulsion Device Foot of an Underwater Robot from the Bottom

The problem of lifting the foot of the walking propulsion device of an underwater mobile robot is considered,taking into account the additional"compression""force acting on it.A mathematical model has been developed for the detachment of a propulsion foot from the ground,based on Henry's laws establishing the concentration of dissolved air in a liquid,the law of gas expansion at a constant temperature,Darcy's law on fluid filtration,and the theorem on the motion of the center of mass of a solid body.The linearized model allows to obtain and analytical solutions.Based on the solution of the variat ional problem,optimal modes of lifting the foot of the walking propulsion of an underwater mobile robot are established.

Force and flow characteristics of an intruder immersed in 3D dense granular matter

The motion of a projectile impact onto a granular target results in both the resistance force exerted on the projectile and rheology of granular media.A horizontal arrangement of cylinder quasistatically and dynamically intruding into granular media under different velocities and angles is simulated using discrete element method.Three distinguished drag force regimes are exhibited,including hydrostatic-like force independent of velocity,viscous force related to velocity,and inertial drag force proportional to the square of velocity.Meanwhile,the influence of penetration angles on drag force is examined for these three regimes,and a force model,which is related to penetration depth and angle,is proposed for quasi-static penetration.Then,flow characteristics of the granular media,such as velocity field,pressure field,packing fraction etc.,are traced,and a rheology model of packing fraction and inertial number is established.

Manager Mobility and Private Equity Syndications from the Perspective of Coupling Networks:Evidence from China’s Private Equity Industry

This study explores whether manager mobility can influence syndications between private equity(PE)firms by constructing coupling network models.Using data from China’s private equity market from 1993 to 2017,we found that driving forces,resistant forces,and network structure play significant roles in determining resource flows between PE firms.Specifically,driving forces indicate that managers moving from domestic and foreign PE firms to state-owned PE firms are more likely to induce syndications.Furthermore,if the manager is promoted when changing jobs,mobility is likely to enhance the flow of resources.Resistant forces indicate that increased geographical distance reduces syndications.As for the influence of structure,if managers leave PE firms with higher status,they are more likely to induce syndications.This study contributes to the coupling network literature by providing a clarified three-factor framework.By exploring the characteristic of managers in state-owned private equity firms,we specified the syndication theory in China.This study can help private equity firms hire valuable managers and expand syndication networks in practice.

Dynamic Model and Motion Mechanism of Magnetotactic Bacteria with Two Lateral Flagellar Bundles

Magnetotactic Bacteria （MTB） propel themselves by rotating their flagella and swim along the magnetic field lines. To analyze the motion of MTB, MTB magneto-ovoid strain MO-1 cells, each with two bundles of flagella, were taken as research object. The six-degrees-of-freedom （6-DoF） dynamic model of MO-1 was established based on the Newton-Euler dynamic equations. In particular, the interaction between the flagellum and fluid was considered by the resistive force theory. The simulated motion trajectory of MTB was found to consist of two kinds of helices： small helices restilting from the imbalance of force due to flagellar rotation, and large helices arising from the different directions of the rotation axis of the cell body and the propulsion axis of the flagellum. The motion behaviours of MTB in various magnetic fields were studied, and the simulation results agree well with the experiment results. In addition, the rotation frequency of the flagella was estimated at 1100 Hz, which is consistent with the average rotation rate for Na^＋-driven flagellar motors. The included angle of the magnetosome chain was predicted at 40° that is located within 20° to 60° range of the observed results. The results indicate the correctness of the dynamic model, which may aid research on the operation and control of MTB-propelled micro-actuators. Meanwhile, the motion behaviours of MTB may inspire the development of micro-robots with new driving mechanisms.

Modeling and analysis of Hayabusa2 touchdown

The Hayabusa2 asteroid explorer mission focuses principally on the touchdown and sampling on near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu.Hayabusa2 successfully landed on its surface and ejected a projectile for sample collection on February 22,2019.Hayabusa2 later landed near a crater formed by an impactor and executed the sampling sequence again on July 11,2019.For a successful mission,a thorough understanding and evaluation of spacecraft dynamics during touchdown were crucial.The most challenging aspect of this study was the modeling of such spacecraft phenomena as the dynamics of landing on a surface with unknown properties.In particular,a Monte Carlo analysis was used to determine the parameters of the operational design for the final descent and touchdown sequence.This paper discusses the dynamical modeling of the simulation during the touchdown of Hayabusa2.

Influence of carrier concentration on the resistive switching characteristics of a ZnO-based memristor

Sandwich-style memristor devices were synthesized by electrochemical deposition with a ZnO film serving as the active layer between Al-doped ZnO （AZO） and Au electrodes. The carrier concentration of the ZnO films is controlled by adding HNO3 during the growth process. A resulting increase in carrier concentration from 10^17 to 10^19 cm^-3 was observed, along with a corresponding drop in the on--off ratio from 6,437% to 100%. The resistive switching characteristics completely disappeared when the carrier concentration was above 1029 cm-3, making it unsuitable for a memory device. The decreasing switching ratio is attributed to a reduction in the driving force for oxygen vacancy drift. Systematic analysis of the migration of oxygen vacancies is presented, including the concentration gradient and electrical potential gradient. Such oxygen vacancy migration dynamics provide insight into the mechanisms of the oxygen vacancy drift and provide valuable information for industrial production of memristor devices.