Randomized comparison of group versus individual educational interventions for pregnant women to reduce their secondhand smoke exposure

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The incremental harmonic balance method for nonlinear vibration of axially moving beams

In this paper, the incremental harmonic balance (IHB) method is formulated for the nonlinear vibration analysis of axially moving beams. The Galerkin method is used to discretize the governing equations. A high-dimensional model that can take nonlinear model coupling into account is derived. The forced response of an axially moving strip with internal resonance between the first two transverse modes is studied. Particular attention is paid to the fundamental, superharmonic and subharmonic resonance as the excitation frequency is close to the first, second or one-third of the first natural frequency of the system. Numerical results reveal the rich and interesting nonlinear phenomena that have not been presented in the existent literature on the nonlinear vibration of axially moving media. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.postprin

Precise Hsu's method for analyzing the stability of periodic solutions of multi-degrees-of-freedom systems with cubic nonlinearity

This paper presents a new precise Hsu's method for investigating the stability regions of the periodic motions of an undamped two-degrees-of-freedom system with cubic nonlinearity. Firstly, the incremental harmonic balance (IHB) method is used to obtain the solution of nonlinear vibration differential equations. Hsu's method is then adopted for computing the transition matrix at the end of one period, and the precise time integration algorithm is adjusted to improve the computational precision. The stability regions of the system obtained from the precise Hsu's, Hsu's and improved numerical integration methods are compared and discussed. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.postprin

Sr, Nd Pb isotopic characteristics of granulite and pyroxenite xenoliths in Hannuoba basalts, Hebei Province, and their implications for geologic processes

Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd and Pb isotopic systematics are reported for granulite and pyroxenite xenoliths in Hannuoba basalts, Hebei Province. The isotopic characteristics of xenoliths suggest t hat they might have formed recently , although there is no strict constraint on the precise age. The decoupling of low Rb/Sr and high [87]Sr/[86]Sr ratios implies the multi-stage evolution history and strong mixing processes. There are close ties between granulite and pyroxenites with different mineral assemblages on the Sr-Nd, Pb-Sr and Pb-Nd correlation figures. The granulite is the common end-member o f the three kinds o f pyroxenite. Combined with the distribution of the xenoliths in space and their isotopic relationships, It is proposed that delamination can be well used to explain the ties.系统研究了河北汉诺坝玄武岩中二辉麻粒岩和辉石岩捕虏体的Sr、Nd、Pb 同位素特征。虽然未确定捕虏体的形成时代, 但同位素特征显示它们可能为较近期( 中生代以来) 形成。低的Rb/Sr 与高 的[87]Sr/[86]Sr 比值的解耦表明捕虏体的形成经历了较强的混合作用。在二元同位素相关图上, 三类具不同矿物组成的辉石岩与二辉麻粒岩有密切关系, 即二辉麻粒岩投点位置是三类辉石岩的共同端点。综合考虑捕虏体的空间分布及其在Sr 、Nd、Pb 同位素协变图上的关系, 可以认为层离作用可较好地解释这些现象。published_or_final_versio

Novel critical point drying (CPD) based preparation and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging of protein specific molecularly imprinted polymers (HydroMIPs)

We report the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging of a hydrogel-based molecularly imprinted polymer (HydroMIP) specific to the template molecule bovine haemoglobin (BHb). A novel critical point drying based sample preparation technique was employed to prepare the molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) samples in a manner that would facilitate the use of TEM to image the imprinted cavities, and provide an appropriate degree of both magnification and resolution to image polymer architecture in the <10 nm range. For the first time, polymer structure has been detailed that clearly displays molecularly imprinted cavities, ranging from 5-50 nm in size, that correlate (in terms of size) with the protein molecule employed as the imprinting template. The modified critical point drying sample preparation technique used may potentially play a key role in the imaging of all molecularly imprinted polymers, particularly those prepared in the aqueous phase

Small inhibitor of Bcl-2, HA14-1, selectively enhanced the apoptotic effect of cisplatin by modulating Bcl-2 family members in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells

Inhibition or downregulation of Bcl-2 represents a new therapeutic approach to by-pass chemoresistance in cancer cells. Therefore, we explored the potential of this approach in breast cancer cells. Cisplatin and paclitaxel induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in MCF-7 (drug-sensitive) and MDA-MB-231 (drug-insensitive) cells. Furthermore, when we transiently silenced Bcl-2, both cisplatin and paclitaxel induced apoptosis more than parental cells. Dose dependent induction of apoptosis by drugs was enhanced by the pre-treatment of these cells with HA14-1, a Bcl-2 inhibitor. Although the effect of cisplatin was significant on both cell lines, the effect of paclitaxel was much less potent only in MDA-MB-231 cells. To further understand the distinct role of drugs in MDA-MB-231 cells pretreated with HA14-1, caspases and Bcl-2 family proteins were studied. The apoptotic effect of cisplatin with or without HA14-1 pre-treatment is shown to be caspase-dependent. Among pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins, Bax and Puma were found to be up-regulated whereas Bcl-2 and Bcl-x(L) were down-regulated when cells were pretreated with HA14-1 followed by paclitaxel or cisplatin. Enforced Bcl-2 expression in MDA-MB-231 cells abrogated the sensitizing effect of HA14-1 in cisplatin induced apoptosis. These results suggest that the potentiating effect of HA14-1 is drug and cell type specific and may not only depend on the inhibition of Bcl-2. Importantly, alteration of other pro-apoptotic or anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members may dictate the apoptotic response when HA14-1 is combined with chemotherapeutic drugs