An information-theoretic approach to the written transmission of old English

Information theory offers a means for analyzing some constraints on the reading and copying process in Old English. Entropy for strings of various lengths offers a baseline measure of the uncertainty involved in transmission of Old English texts, while avoiding the pitfalls of applying models of modern reading to early medieval practice. Analysis of lengthy prose and verse texts in Old English revealed uniformly high values for entropy at all string lengths. High entropies may be the result of the language's irregular orthography, poetic koiné, and several dialects and imply that the language may have been easy to write but difficult to read. The low redundancy of the language which its high entropy values indicate suggests that the reader of Old English played an enhanced role in decoding a text and may provide an explanation for the high variability in the transmission of Old English verse.Katherine O'Brien O 'Keeffe is Professor of English at Texas A&M University and a co-director of its Interdisciplinary Group for Historical Literary Study.William Rundell is Professor of Mathematics at Texas A&M University.     

The Landscape of microRNAs in βCell: Between Phenotype Maintenance and Protection

Diabetes mellitus is a group of heterogeneous metabolic disorders characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia mainly due to pancreatic β cell death and/or dysfunction, caused by several types of stress such as glucotoxicity, lipotoxicity and inflammation. Different patho-physiological mechanisms driving β cell response to these stresses are tightly regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of negative regulators of gene expression, involved in pathogenic mechanisms occurring in diabetes and in its complications. In this review, we aim to shed light on the most important miRNAs regulating the maintenance and the robustness of β cell identity, as well as on those miRNAs involved in the pathogenesis of the two main forms of diabetes mellitus, i.e., type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, we acknowledge that the understanding of miRNAs-regulated molecular mechanisms is fundamental in order to develop specific and effective strategies based on miRNAs as therapeutic targets, employing innovative molecules.     

杂散电流对阴极保护效果影响的模拟实验

本文通过模拟地下管道阴极保护的现场，测定了地下的杂散电流及其对阴极保护效果的影响，并对相关问题进行了分析。     

当前热处理工艺设计的着眼点

本文从热处理工艺设计入手，阐述了工艺设计的衡量标准以及环保的重要性，论述了热处理工艺设计的特点和工程设计人员的任务。     

Protecting the infrastructure with thermal spray coatings—Technical note

Thermal sprayed aluminum and zinc provide long-term (> 20 years to first maintenance) corrosion control coatings. However, this application is usually more expensive than painting or galvanizing if thermal spraying (metallizing) is not integrated into the design and fabrication phases of new construction and repair projects. Aluminum and zinc metallized coatings are tough enough to withstand fabrication, transportation, and assembly operations. The improved capabilities and productivity of metallizing equipment for aluminum and zinc spraying are a major factor in their current cost competitiveness. The net result is that the cost difference between metallizing, paint, and galvanizing is getting closer every day. Even though the initial application cost of metallizing may be higher, the life cycle cost (LCC) and average equivalent annual costs (AEAC) are lower than paint coating systems. Metallizing LCCs, when properly engineered into the construction schedule, are equal to or less than paint coating LCCs. This article summarizes some metallizing considerations for installing improved corrosion control coating systems in new construction and in maintenance and repair of infrastructure. Editor’s Note: The following constants have been used to convert between English and Metric dimensions: 1ft²-0.0929 m²; 1lb/ft²-4.89 kg/m²; 1 mil=0.025mm. Presented at the 5th National Thermal Spray Conference (NTSC-93), Infrastructure Maintenance and Repair Session, 10 June 1993, Anaheim, CA.     

Structural Investigation and Molecular Modeling Studies of Strobilurin-Based Fungicides Active against the Rice Blast Pathogen Pyricularia oryzae

The increasing emergence of fungicide-resistant pathogens requires urgent solutions for crop disease management. Here, we describe a structural investigation of new fungicides obtained by combining strobilurin and succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor pharmacophores. We identified compounds endowed with very good activity against wild-type Pyricularia oryzae, combined in some cases with promising activity against strobilurin-resistant strains. The first three-dimensional model of P. oryzae cytochrome bc1 complex containing azoxystrobin as a ligand was developed. The model was validated with a set of commercially available strobilurins, and it well explains both the resistance mechanism to strobilurins mediated by the mutation G143A and the activity of metyltetraprole against strobilurin-resistant strains. The obtained results shed light on the key recognition determinants of strobilurin-like derivatives in the cytochrome bc1 active site and will guide the further rational design of new fungicides able to overcome resistance caused by G143A mutation in the rice blast pathogen.     

The AFLATOX® Project: Approaching the Development of New Generation,Natural-Based Compounds for the Containment of the Mycotoxigenic Phytopathogen Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxin Contamination

The control of the fungal contamination on crops is considered a priority by the sanitary authorities of an increasing number of countries, and this is also due to the fact that the geographic areas interested in mycotoxin outbreaks are widening. Among the different pre- and post-harvest strategies that may be applied to prevent fungal and/or aflatoxin contamination, fungicides still play a prominent role; however, despite of countless efforts, to date the problem of food and feed contamination remains unsolved, since the essential factors that affect aflatoxins production are various and hardly to handle as a whole. In this scenario, the exploitation of bioactive natural sources to obtain new agents presenting novel mechanisms of action may represent a successful strategy to minimize, at the same time, aflatoxin contamination and the use of toxic pesticides. The Aflatox^® Project was aimed at the development of new-generation inhibitors of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus spp. proliferation and toxin production, through the modification of naturally occurring molecules: a panel of 177 compounds, belonging to the thiosemicarbazones class, have been synthesized and screened for their antifungal and anti-aflatoxigenic potential. The most effective compounds, selected as the best candidates as aflatoxin containment agents, were also evaluated in terms of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and epi-genotoxicity to exclude potential harmful effect on the human health, the plants on which fungi grow and the whole ecosystem.     

PAN/FPU Composite Nanofiber Membrane with Superhydrophobic and Superoleophobic Surface as a Filter Element for High-Efficiency Protective Masks

Recently, because of the outbreak of COVID-19, the demand for various types of filter elements in protective materials has increased globally. Furthermore, new requirements for the filtration performance of PM2.5 liquid (oil) particles have been put forward. In this work, Superhydrophobic and superoleophobic composite nanofibers with excellent filtration capacity for oil and salt particles are developed through the modification of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) by fluoro-polyurethane (FPU) doping. The results show that the PAN/FPU composite nanofibers doped with 9 wt% FPU has a uniform fiber morphology with a diameter of 240 ± 30 nm. Compared to the pure PAN nanofibers, the water-based contact angle of PAN/FPU increases from 90 ± 5° to 151 ± 5°, and the oil-based contact angle increases from 58 ± 2° to 152 ± 3°. Importantly, at a high flow rate of 95 L min⁻¹, the filtration efficiency of the PAN/FPU nanofiber membrane for 0.3 µm oil particles increases from 92 ± 1% to 99.2 ± 0.1%. After cyclic loading, the filtration efficiency of 0.3 µm oil particles remains above 98%. Meanwhile, the filtration efficiency for 0.3 µm salt particles remains at 98.23 ± 0.1%. The PAN/FPU nanofiber membrane developed in this work is effective in applications and has good market prospects as a protective filtration material.     

新型环保智能型熟料火车散装系统的开发设计

为满足国家环保要求及现代化企业智能化的要求,解决现有熟料火车散装存在的问题和缺陷,开发设计了新型环保智能型熟料火车散装系统。本文对新型环保智能型熟料火车散装系统进行了介绍,阐述了系统设计理念和工作原理,通过计量系统、装车系统和收尘系统连锁反馈手段,实现了实时在线计量,智能移动装料,达到了作业效率高,智能化程度高,收尘效果好的目的。     

高校知识产权保护问题探析

知识产权保护是高校科技发展之本，可以激励科技创新，促进科技成果商品化、产业化。本文分析了当前高校知识产权保护工作中存在的一些问题，针对性地提出了加强高校知识产权保护的措施。