Publications

Abstract Metallodielectric composites with tunable optical properties were prepared by layer‐by‐layer assembly of gold nanorods on polystyrene (PS) spheres and subsequent deposition of SiO 2 or TiO 2 encapsulating shells through a sol–gel process. The optical properties of the core‐shells were tailored in the visible and the near‐infrared region through the gold nanorod aspect ratio and the gold nanoparticle density. Removal of the PS core by dissolution in an appropriate solvent, such as THF, yielded metallodielectric hollow shells with optical properties identical to those of the original composites. The presence of gold and the porosity of the SiO 2 or TiO 2 shells, suitable to allow diffusion of reactants and products, make these materials of interest as catalysts, as demonstrated by the reduction of potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) with NaBH 4 .

For the purpose of training the periscope operator on shore, the periscope scene simulation system is designed based on VR technology. The structure of system is introduced at first. Then the method using stencil buffer to achieve the periscope circle window clipping is proposed, which can efficiently ensure the clipping and has little influence in rendering effect. By changing the vertical and horizontal angle of view to achieve the control the display at different magnification, the switching of LOD at different magnification is realized by altering the visible range of LODs. By applying callback functions of OpenGL in Vega Prime, achieved the display of Chinese characters in the coach console. The results show that system can simulate the whole process of periscope training and have good performance in economic efficiency and reliability.

Abstract The inbreeding coefficient ( F ) of individuals can be estimated from molecular marker data, such as SNPs, using measures of homozygosity of individual markers or runs of homozygosity (ROH) across the genome. These different measures of F can then be used to estimate the rate of inbreeding depression (ID) for quantitative traits. Some recent simulation studies have investigated the accuracy of this estimation with contradictory results. Whereas some studies suggest that estimates of inbreeding from ROH account more accurately for ID, others suggest that inbreeding measures from SNP‐by‐SNP homozygosity giving a large weight to rare alleles are more accurate. Here, we try to give more light on this issue by carrying out a set of computer simulations considering a range of population genetic parameters and population sizes. Our results show that the previous studies are indeed not contradictory. In populations with low effective size, where relationships are more tight and selection is relatively less intense, F measures based on ROH provide very accurate estimates of ID whereas SNP‐by‐SNP‐based F measures with high weight to rare alleles can show substantial upwardly biased estimates of ID. However, in populations of large effective size, with more intense selection and trait allele frequencies expected to be low if they are deleterious for fitness because of purifying selection, average estimates of ID from SNP‐by‐SNP‐based F values become unbiased or slightly downwardly biased and those from ROH‐based F values become slightly downwardly biased. The noise attached to all these estimates, nevertheless, can be very high in large‐sized populations. We also investigate the relationship between the different F measures and the homozygous mutation load, which has been suggested as a proxy of inbreeding depression.

Subjects with elevated sleep-time BP are at high cardiovascular risk, independently of either clinic or ambulatory awake measurements. Sleep-time BP determined by ambulatory monitoring should thus be used for proper identification of out-of-office hypertension, a condition associated with markedly increased cardiovascular risk.

<title>Abstract</title> To establish a 4-plex ddPCR method for quantitatively detecting the four major pathogenic bacteria: <italic>Salmonella</italic>, <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic>, <italic>Listeria monocytogenes</italic>, and <italic>Bacillus cereus</italic> in instant food simultaneously, primers, probes, and PCR conditions were optimized. For the 4-plex ddPCR assay, four target pathogens demonstrated a good linear correlation to the readouts (r²&gt;0.999). The linear dynamic ranges were: 33-21504 copies/20µL for <italic>Salmonella</italic>, 28-18404 copies/20µL for <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic>, 25-27012 copies/20µL for <italic>Listeria monocytogenes</italic> and 15-15560 copies /20µL for <italic>Bacillus cereus</italic>. The relative standard deviations (RSD) at different concentrations of the target pathogens were all less than 25% (n = 5) indicating the good repeatability of the assay. The detection limits were 8 copies/20µL (<italic>Salmonella</italic>), 7 copies/20µL (<italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic>), 9 copies/20µL (<italic>Listeria monocytogenes</italic>) and 7 copies/20µL (<italic>Bacillus cereus</italic>). The established 4-plex ddPCR assay was evaluated in parallel with the classical plate colony-counting method to detect the target pathogens in the four types of simulated samples. The results from the two assays are similar with deviations less than 9%. Still, the PCR assay appears superior to the plate method, evidenced by the short turnaround time, lower detection limit, and robust reproducibility.

Most variables of clinical interest show predictable changes with different frequencies, mainly, but not exclusively, along the rest–activity cycle (circadian variation). Methods of linear least-squares estimation have been designed for the detection of periodic components in sparse and noisy time series (as they are usually present in clinical situations). They include the single and population-mean cosinor methods. In cases where more than one period is statistically significant over the span of time investigated, or when the waveform is non-sinusoidal, the use of multiple components analysis to fit a model consisting of several cosine functions (harmonics or not from a given fundamental period) is recommended. We describe these methods, from the characterization of the underlying models to the process of parameter estimation. As an application example, we describe the modelling of the circadian variation of blood pressure (BP). In most individuals, BP presents a morning increase, a small postprandial valley and a deeper descent during nocturnal rest. This pattern can be easily modelled by means of a model with periods of 24 and 12 hours. Individuals that differ from this model might be considered to present increased cardiovascular risk.