Long-distance transport of sucrose in source leaves promotes sink root growth by the EIN3-SUC2 module.

In most plants, sucrose, a major storage sugar, is transported into sink organs to support their growth. This key physiological process is dependent on the function of sucrose transporters. Sucrose export from source tissues is predominantly controlled through the activity of SUCROSE TRANSPORTER 2 (SUC2), required for the loading of sucrose into the phloem of Arabidopsis plants. However, how SUC2 activity is controlled to support root growth remains unclear. Glucose is perceived via the function of HEXOKINASE 1 (HXK1), the only known nuclear glucose sensor. HXK1 negatively regulates the stability of ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3), a key ethylene/glucose interaction component. Here we show that HXK1 functions upstream of EIN3 in the regulation of root sink growth mediated by glucose signaling. Furthermore, the transcription factor EIN3 directly inhibits SUC2 activity by binding to the SUC2 promoter, regulating glucose signaling linked to root sink growth. We demonstrate that these molecular components form a HXK1-EIN3-SUC2 module integral to the control of root sink growth. Also, we demonstrate that with increasing age, the HXK1-EIN3-SUC2 module promotes sucrose phloem loading in source tissues thereby elevating sucrose levels in sink roots. As a result, glucose signaling mediated-sink root growth is facilitated. Our findings thus establish a direct molecular link between the HXK1-EIN3-SUC2 module, the source-to sink transport of sucrose and root growth.

Arabidopsis ANGUSTIFOLIA3 (AN3) is associated with the promoter of CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1 (COP1) to regulate light-mediated stomatal development.

Light signals are perceived by multiple photoreceptors that converge to suppress the RING E3 ubiquitin ligase CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1 (COP1) for the regulation of stomatal development. Thus, COP1 is a point of integration between light signaling and stomatal patterning. However, how light signaling is collected into COP1 for the production and spacing of stomata is still unknown. Here, we report that the loss-of-function mutant of ANGUSTIFOLIA3 (AN3) delays asymmetric cell division, which leads to decreased stomatal index. Furthermore, overexpression of AN3 accelerates asymmetric cell division, which results in clusters of stomata. In addition, the stomatal development through AN3 regulation is mediated by light signaling. Finally, we find that an3 is a light-signaling mutant, and that AN3 protein is light regulated. Self-activation by AN3 contributes to the control of AN3 expression. Thus, AN3 is a point of collection between light signaling and stomatal patterning. Target-gene analysis indicates that AN3 is associated with COP1 promoter for the regulation of light-controlling stomatal development. Together, these components for regulating stomatal development form an AN3-COP1-E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, allowing the integration of light signaling into the production and spacing of stomata.

3D-QSAR (CoMFA, CoMSIA), molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations study of 6-aryl-5-cyano-pyrimidine derivatives to explore the structure requirements of LSD1 inhibitors.

Recently, Histone Lysine Specific Demethylase 1 (LSD1) was regarded as a promising anticancer target for the novel drug discovery. And several small molecules as LSD1 inhibitors in different structures have been reported. In this work, we carried out a molecular modeling study on the 6-aryl-5-cyano-pyrimidine fragment LSD1 inhibitors using three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR), molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) were used to generate 3D-QSAR models. The results show that the best CoMFA model has q2=0.802, r2ncv=0.979, and the best CoMSIA model has q2=0.799, r2ncv=0.982. The electrostatic, hydrophobic and H-bond donor fields play important roles in the models. Molecular docking studies predict the binding mode and the interactions between the ligand and the receptor protein. Molecular dynamics simulations results reveal that the complex of the ligand and the receptor protein are stable at 300K. All the results can provide us more useful information for our further drug design.

[Rapid Diagnosis of Sound, Yellow and Citrus Greening Leaves with Hyperspectral Imaging].

The feasibility was investigated for identifying sound, yellow and citrus greening leaves of navel orange trees based on hyperspectral imaging combined with correlation analysis and discriminant partial least square (DPLS) methods. The hyperspectral data of sound, yellow and citrus greening leaves were recorded in the wavelength range of 374.28～1 016.89 nm. Two regions of interest (ROI) were marked symmetrically on both sides along main veins with an ellipse of major axis of 60 pixels and minor axis of 30 pixels. The average reflectance spectrum was extracted from ROI regions. A pair wavelengths of 502.79 and 374.28 nm were chosen with correlation analysis method in the wavelength range of 374.28～1 016.89 nm. The classification model was developed with the peak ratio of the pair wavelengths. This model was effective to sound leaves with the recognition accuracy of 1.7% but yellow and citrus greening leaves. The DPLS model was employed with the preprocessing spectra of second derivative and Savitzky-Golay smoothing. The recognition accuracy of this model was 100% for citrus greening leaves and yellow ones. The number of latent variables (LVs) was optimized with the leave one out cross validation method. The optimal LVs, correlation coefficient and standard error of calibration of the DPLS model were 17, 0.96 and 0.13, respectively. The correction classification rate of the DPLS model was 100% for yellow leaves and citrus greening ones. Two-step method of the peak ratio models combination with the DPLS was proposed for identifying sound, yellow and citrus greening leaves. The new samples were applied to evaluation the classification ability of the two-step method, which included sound leaves of 10, citrus greening leaves of 10 and yellow leaves of 10. The correction classification rate reached 96.7%. Experimental results showed that it was feasible to identify sound, yellow and citrus greening leaves by hyperspectral imaging coupled with the peak ratio and DPLS models.

[Quantitative Analysis of Dimethoate Pesticide Residues in Honey by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy].

The feasibility of a combination method of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technology and linear regression algorithm was investigated for rapid quantitative analysis of pesticide residues in honey. The total of 30 samples was applied in the experiment with dimethoate pesticide residues range from 1 ppm to 10 ppm. The samples were divided into calibration set (20) and prediction set (10). The substrate of Klarite with an inverted pyramidal structure was adopted for improvement of the relative intensity of the majority of Raman shift peaks. The comparative analysis was carried out between SERS spectra of dimethoate pesticide residues in honey samples and conventional Raman spectra of dimethoate standard sample. And four characteristic Raman shift peaks at the wavenumbers of 867, 1 065, 1 317 and 1 453 cm(-1) were found, which were related with the vibrational information of dimethoate molecule. The relationship was developed by linear regression algorithm between the intensity of Raman shift and the concentration of dimethoate pesticide residues. The 10 new samples in the prediction set were applied to evaluate the performance of the models. By comparison, the optimal model was obtained with the characteristic Raman shift peak of 867 cm(-1). The higher correlation coefficient of prediction of 0.984 and lower root mean square error of prediction of 0.663 ppm were obtained. The detection limit of this method was 2 ppm, which was close to the maximum levels of pesticide residue detection limits. Experimental results showed that it was feasible to rapidly analyze quantitative of pesticide residues in honey with the combination method of SERS technology and linear regression algorithm. Compared with the conventional method coupled with the suitable pretreatment, the combination method of SERS technology and linear regression method could analyze the dimethoate pesticide residues in honey, and it also provided an optional method for rapid quantitative analysis pesticide residues in other agricultural products.

[Changes of left ventricular remodeling in hypertension patients with carotid atherosclerosis of phlegm-dampness syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To study changes of left ventricular remodeling (LVR) in hypertension patients with carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) of phlegm-dampness syndrome (PDS). METHODS: Doppler ultrasonography data of CAS were observed in 223 hypertension patients with CAS (as the hypertension group, including 119 patients of the PDS group and 104 of the non-PDS group), 81 CAS patients with non-hypertension, and 19 non-hypertension non-CAS patients (as the control group). The difference in the degree of LVR was compared among the above groups. RESULTS: The left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT), inter ventricular septum thickness (IVS), E/A were higher in the hypertension group than in the non-hypertension group (P < 0.05). The left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), stroke volume (SV) were higher in the soft plaque hypertension group and the soft plaque non-hypertension group than in the hard plaque group, the thickening intimal group, and the normal intimal group (P < 0.01 , P < 0.05). The LVEDD, LVESD, and SV were higher, and the ejection fraction (EF) was lower in the PDS hypertension group than in the non-PDS hypertension group (all P < 0.05). Of them, LVEDD, LVESD, and SV were higher in the soft plaque group than in the hard plaque group (P < 0.01), the thickening intimal group (P < 0.01) and the normal intimal group (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in PDS hypertension between the soft plaque group and the hard plaque group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The hypertension patients with CAS of PDS might be correlated to LVR, and LVR was more obviously in the soft plaque patients.

[Correlation between femoral offset, rotation center and leg length discrepancy after total hip arthroplasty based on digital analysis].

OBJECTIVE: CT scans combined with Mimics software were used to measure femoral offset (FO), rotation center height (RCH) and lower leg length discrepancy (LLD) following total hip arthroplasty (THA), and the relationship between FO, RCH and LLD after THA is discussed. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was performed on 40 patients with unilateral THA who met standard cases from October 2020 to June 2022. There were 21 males and 19 females, 18 patients on the left side and 22 patients on the right side, aged range from 30 to 81 years old, with an average age of (58.90 ±14.13) years old, BMI ranged from 17.3 to 31.5 kg·m-2 with an average of (25.3±3.4) kg·m-2. There were 30 cases of femoral head necrosis (Ficat type Ⅳ), 2 cases of hip osteoarthritis (Tönnis type Ⅲ), 2 cases of developmental hip dislocation combined with end-stage osteoarthritis (Crowe type Ⅲ), and 6 cases of femoral neck fracture (Garden type Ⅳ). Three-dimensional CT reconstruction of pelvis was taken preoperative and postoperative, and three-dimensional reconstruction model was established after processing by Mimics software. FO, RCH and LLD were measured on the model. The criteria for FO reconstruction were as follows:postoperative bilateral FO difference less than 5 mm;the standard for equal length of both lower limbs was as follows:postoperative LLD difference less than 5 mm. RESULTS: Bilateral FO difference was positively correlated with LLD (r=0.744, P<0.001). Chi-square test was performed between the FO reconstructed group and the non-reconstructed eccentricity group:The results showed that the isometric ratio of lower limbs in the FO reconstructed group was significantly higher than that in the FO reconstructed group (χ2=6.320, P=0.012). The bilateral RCH difference was significantly negatively correlated with LLD(r=-0.877, P<0.001). There is a linear relationship between bilateral FO difference and bilateral RCH difference and postoperative LLD, and the linear regression equation is satisfied:postoperative LLD=0.038x-0.099y+0.257(x:postoperative bilateral FO difference, y:postoperative bilateral RCH difference; Unit:cm), F=77.993, R2=0.808, P=0.009. CONCLUSION: After THA, LLD increased with the increase of FO and decreased with the increase of RCH. The effect of lower limb isometric length can be obtained more easily by reconstruction of FO. There is a linear relationship between the bilateral FO difference and the bilateral RCH difference after THA and LLD, and the regression equation can provide a theoretical reference for judging LLD.

[Detection of reducing sugar content of potato granules based on wavelet compression by near infrared spectroscopy].

The feasibility was explored in determination of reducing sugar content of potato granules based on wavelet compression algorithm combined with near-infrared spectroscopy. The spectra of 250 potato granules samples were recorded by Fourier transform near-infrared spectrometer in the range of 4000- 10000 cm-1. The three parameters of vanishing moments, wavelet coefficients and principal component factor were optimized. The optimization results of three parameters were 10, 100 and 20, respectively. The original spectra of 1501 spectral variables were transfered to 100 wavelet coefficients using db wavelet function. The partial least squares (PLS) calibration models were developed by 1501 spectral variables and 100 wavelet coefficients. Sixty two unknown samples of prediction set were applied to evaluate the performance of PLS models. By comparison, the optimal result was obtained by wavelet compression combined with PLS calibration model. The correlation coefficient of prediction and root mean square error of prediction were 0.98 and 0.181%, respectively. Experimental results show that the dimensions of spectral data were reduced, scarcely losing effective information by wavelet compression algorithm combined with near-infrared spectroscopy technology in determination of reducing sugar in potato granules. The PLS model is simplified, and the predictive ability is improved.

[Variable selection methods combined with local linear embedding theory used for optimization of near infrared spectral quantitative models].

Variables selection strategy combined with local linear embedding (LLE) was introduced for the analysis of complex samples by using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Three methods include Monte Carlo uninformation variable elimination (MCUVE), successive projections algorithm (SPA) and MCUVE connected with SPA were used for eliminating redundancy spectral variables. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) and LLE-PLSR were used for modeling complex samples. The results shown that MCUVE can both extract effective informative variables and improve the precision of models. Compared with PLSR models, LLE-PLSR models can achieve more accurate analysis results. MCUVE combined with LLE-PLSR is an effective modeling method for NIRS quantitative analysis.

[Construction and simplification of the calibration model for spectral analysis of fuel oil properties based on mutual information method].

Near infrared diffuse reflectance (NIRS) and ultraviolet (UV) spectral analysis were adopted for quantitative determination of octane number and monoaromatics in fuel oil. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used for construction of vibrational spectral calibration models. Variables selection strategy based on mutual information (MI) theory was introduced to optimize the models for improving the precision and reducing the complexity. The results indicate that MI-PLSR method can effectively improve the predictive ability of the models and simplify them. For octane number models, the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and the number of calibration variables were reduced from 0.288 and 401 to 0.111 and 112, respectively, and correlation coefficient (R) was improved from 0.985 to 0.998. For monoaromatics models, RMSEP and the number of calibration variables were reduced from 0.753 and 572 to 0.478 and 37, respectively, and R was improved from 0.996 to 0.998. Vibrational spectral analysis combined with MI-PLSR method can be used for quantitative analysis of fuel oil properties, and improve the cost-effectiveness.

[Selection of visible-NIR variables based on extraction and successive projections algorithm].

The pixels were 2 048 or 3 648 for the most Si charge coupled device dector. The interval between the adjacent wavelengths was few. The pretreatment could not deal with the spectra well. Spectral matrix was reconstructed by equal interval extraction in the wavelength range of 600.09-980.47nm. The variables for developing partial least squares (PLS) models were chosen by genetic algorithm (GA) and successive projections algorithm (SPA) from the pretreatment spectra. The models' predictive ability was evaluated by leave-one-out cross validation. By comparison, the best results were obtained by the SPA-PLS models. The standard errors of cross validation (SECV) were 0.661 degrees Brix, 0.067% and 2.91 mg x (100 g)(-1) for soluble solids, total adicity and vitamin C, respectively. The results suggested that the predictive ability can be improved by equal interval extraction method and SPA for determinating the quality of Nanfeng mandarin fruits.

[Detection of firmness and surface color of pear by near infrared spectroscopy based on Monte Carlo uninformative variables elimination method].

In the present study, NIRS was applied to nondestructive and rapid measurement of firmness and surface color of pear. In order to improve the prediction precision and eliminate the influence of uninformative variables on model robustness, Monte Carlo uninformative variables elimination (MC-UVE) and Monte Carlo uninformative variables elimination based on wavelet transform (WT-MC-UVE) methods were proposed for variable selection in firmness and surface color NIR spectral modeling. Results show that WT-MC-UVE can reduce the modeling variables from 1451 to 210, and get similar prediction results for firmness. WT-MC-UVE improved the prediction precision for surface color, the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and calibration variables were reduced from 1.06 and 1451 to 0.90 and 220 respectively, and the correlation coefficient (r) was improved from 0.975 to 0.981. The proposed method is able to select important wavelength from the NIR spectra, and makes the prediction more robust and accurate in quantitative analysis of firmness and surface color.

[Research on optimization of model for detecting sugar content of navel orange by online near infrared spectroscopy].

The objective of the present research was to optimize the model of sugar content in navel orange for improving the detection presicion by the online near infrared spectroscopy. The reference wavelength was chosen by coefficient of variation of the different wavelengths in the calibration set in the wavelength range of 700.28 - 933.79 nm. Then the spectra were transformed into ratio specra. The absorbance and ration spectra were pretreated by different preprocessing methods. The models of sugar content were developed by partial least squares (PLS) and least squares support vector regression (LSSVR). The 30 unknown navel orange samples were applied to evaluate the performance of the models. By comparison of the predictive performances, the LSSVR model was the best among the models with the first derivative preprocessing and ration spectra. The correlation coeffiecient (R(P)) of the best model was 0.85, the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) was 0.41 Brix. The results suggested that it was feasible to improve the precision of online near infrared spectroscopy detecting sugar content in navel orange by the optimization of reference wavelengths, the first derivative preprocessing and LSSVR.

Cloning and Heterologous Expression of a Novel Xylanase Gene TAX1 from Trichoderma atroviride and Its Application in the Deconstruction of Corn Stover.

Xylanase plays a vital role in the efficient utilization of xylan, which accounts for up to 30% of plant dry matter. However, the production cost of xylanase remains high, and the enzymatic characteristics of xylanases of most microorganisms are not suitable for industrial production. Therefore, it is of great significance to discover and develop new and efficient xylanases. In this study, the xylanase gene TAX1 (672 bp cDNA) was cloned from Trichoderma atroviride 3.3013 and expressed in Pichia pastoris. The TAX1 gene encoded a 223-amino acid protein (TAX1) with a molecular weight of 24.2 kDa which showed high similarity to glycoside hydrolase family 11. Enzyme activity assay verified that the recombinant xylanase TAX1 had optimal activity (215.3 IU/mL) at 50°C and pH 6.0. Stable working conditions were measured as pH 4.0-7.0 and 40-60°C. By adding Zn2+, the relative enzymatic activity of recombinant TAX1 was enhanced by 26%. The recombinant xylanase showed high activity toward birchwood xylan and corn stover. The Km and Kcat for xylan and corn stover were 0.36 mg/mL and 0.204 S-1 and 0.48 mg/mL and 0.149 S-1, respectively. The enzymatic activity of the TAX1 produced by P. pastoris was about 2.4-4 times higher that directly isolated from T. atroviride, so engineered P. pastoris for xylanase production could be an ideal candidate for industrial enzyme production.

Anti-echinococcal effect of verapamil involving the regulation of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II response in vitro and in a murine infection model.

BACKGROUND: Echinococcosis, which is caused by the larvae of cestodes of the genus Echinococcus, is a parasitic zoonosis that poses a serious threat to the health of humans and animals globally. Albendazole is the drug of choice for the treatment of echinococcosis, but it is difficult to meet clinical goals with this chemotherapy due to its low cure rate and associated side effects after its long-term use. Hence, novel anti-parasitic targets and effective treatment alternatives are urgently needed. A previous study showed that verapamil (Vepm) can suppress the growth of Echinococcus granulosus larvae; however, the mechanism of this effect remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to gain insight into the anti-echinococcal effect of Vepm on Echinococcus with a particular focus on the regulatory effect of Vepm on calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (Ca2+/CaM-CaMKII) in infected mice. METHODS: The anti-echinococcal effects of Vepm on Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces (PSC) in vitro and Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes in infected mice were assessed. The morphological alterations in Echinococcus spp. induced by Vepm were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the changes in calcium content in both the parasite and mouse serum and liver were measured by SEM-energy dispersive spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and alizarin red staining. Additionally, the changes in the protein and mRNA levels of CaM and CaMKII in infected mice, and in the mRNA levels of CaMKII in E. granulosus PSC, were evaluated after treatment with Vepm by immunohistochemistry and/or real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: In vitro, E. granulosus PSC could be killed by Vepm at a concentration of 0.5 µg/ml or higher within 8 days. Under these conditions, the ultrastructure of PSC was damaged, and this damage was accompanied by obvious calcium loss and downregulation of CaMKII mRNA expression. In vivo, the weight and the calcium content of E. multilocularis metacestodes from mice were reduced after treatment with 40 mg/kg Vepm, and an elevation of the calcium content in the sera and livers of infected mice was observed. In addition, downregulation of CaM and CaMKII protein and mRNA expression in the livers of mice infected with E. multilocularis metacestodes was found after treatment with Vepm. CONCLUSIONS: Vepm exerted a parasiticidal effect against Echinococcus both in vitro and in vivo through downregulating the expression of Ca2+/CaM-CaMKII, which was over-activated by parasitic infection. The results suggest that Ca2+/CaM-CaMKII may be a novel drug target, and that Vepm is a potential anti-echinococcal drug for the future control of echinococcosis.

Using high competent shoot apical meristems of cockscomb as explants for studying function of ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2-LIKE11 (ASL11) gene of Arabidopsis.

Though shoot apical meristems (SAMs) commonly exhibit low or no competence for transformation, the potent regeneration of this tissue merits further research. Especially, when shoot regeneration is recalcitrant using other tissues as explants, SAM probably is an excellent selection. In cockscomb plants, using SAMs from seedlings obtained from MS medium with 0.5 mg l(-1) 6-BA as explants, high frequency of transformation (approximate 20%) is obtained; whereas control SAMs performed poorly for transformation (approximate 3%). These SAMs are malformed in morphology compared to control SAMs. Further observation found that, in these SAMs, cell proliferation and/or TE formation are seen; which are not found in control SAMs. GUS assays indicated that GUS-positive blue spots at TE zones are obvious; whereas the case was contrary in control SAMs. All these data suggest that cell proliferation and/or TE formation might cause high effective transformation. This transformation system should facilitate the use of this species for studies on gene manipulation and expression. Therefore, we introduced 35S:ASL11-GFP to cockscomb via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2-LIKE11 (ASL11) gene of Arabidopsis is a member of the ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2 (AS2)/LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES (LOB) domain gene family, and its function is largely unclear. By confocal laser scanning microscopy, we found that in most over 35S:ASL11-GFP cockscomb plants, ASL11-GFP fusion protein was in discrete nuclear location. These results indicate that the T-DNA contains within the construct inserted into the host chromosomes in an integral form, and also suggest that ASL11 might be a nuclear protein and function as a potential transcription factor. Moreover, SAMs of the over 35S:ASL11-GFP plants show needle-like patterns that lack organ primordial; suggesting ASL11 might be involved in sustaining indeterminate cell fate of SAMs.

Relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and cerebral infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and cerebral infarction (CI). METHODS: Between November 2008 and March 2009, 147 CI patients (CI group) and 48 patients with non-cerebrovascular diseases (control group) were enrolled from inpatients of Neurology Department of our hospital. The diagnostic criterion of thickened carotid intima was set as 1.0 mm 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Carotid atherosclerosis is to some extent able to reveal the atherosclerotic condition of cerebral arteries and act as an important predictor for the risk of CI. The color Doppler ultrasonography of carotid arteries can provide a convenient way for the prevention and treatment of CI.

[Review of portable NIR instruments for detecting fruit interior quality].

The detection principle of NIR technology for nondestructive measurement of fruit internal quality was briefly introtive analysis was given among several instruments. The latest progress was summarized at home and abroad. Finally, the development and trend of NIR instruments for detecting fruit quality was analyzed.

[Application of Raman spectroscopy technique to food quality and safety determination].

With the merits of doing without sample pretreatment, easy operation, short response time and high sensitivity, Raman spectroscopy technique can acquire samples' physical chemistry and the deep structure information. It has been widely applied in petrol chemical, biomedicine, geoarchaeology, criminal justice, gem identification, etc. Raman spectroscopy has good application prospect in food quality and safety determination, for its spectra are not extremely sensitive to polar materials such as water. The detection principle, classification and the system composition of Raman spectroscopy technique were introduced briefly. The latest research progress in food constituent analysis and pesticide residue determination by Raman spectroscopy was reviewed. Finally, its key technologies for food quality and safety determination were pointed out and the future research was prospected.

Damage Detection of Asphalt Concrete Using Piezo-Ultrasonic Wave Technology.

Asphalt concrete has been widely used in road engineering as a surface material. Meanwhile, ultrasonic testing technology has also been developed rapidly. Aiming to evaluate the feasibility of the ultrasonic wave method, the present work reports a laboratory investigation on damage detection of asphalt concrete using piezo-ultrasonic wave technology. The gradation of AC-13 was selected and prepared based on the Marshall's design. The ultrasonic wave velocities of samples were tested with different environmental conditions firstly. After that, the samples were destroyed into two types, one was drilled and the other was grooved. And the ultrasonic wave velocities of pretreated samples were tested again. Furthermore, the relationship between velocity and damaged process was evaluated based on three point bending test. The test results indicated that piezoelectric ultrasonic wave is a promising technology for damage detection of asphalt concrete with considerable benefits. The ultrasonic velocity decreases with the voidage increases. In a saturated water environment, the measured velocity of ultrasonic wave increased. In a dry environment (50 °C), the velocity the ultrasonic waves increased too. After two freeze-thaw cycles, the voidage increased and the ultrasonic velocity decreased gradually. After factitious damage, the wave must travel through or most likely around the damage, the ultrasonic velocity decreased. During the process of three point bending test, the ultrasonic velocity increased firstly and then decreased slowly until it entered into a steady phase. At last the velocity of ultrasonic wave decreased rapidly. In addition, the errors of the results under different test conditions need to be further studied.