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For advanced technology nodes, the static random-access memories (SRAMs) are highly vulnerable to the single-event upsets (SEUs), especially the multiple cell upsets (MCUs), by a high energy ion strike, which is due to the small transistor size and close proximity of the sensitive regions. However, the narrow connection between the fin and the bulk region for FinFET inhibits the charge collection compared to the planar transistor structure. In this work, heavy ion tests were conducted for 16 nm bulk FinFET dual-port SRAM at two high linear energy transfers (LETs) of 60 MeV∙cm2/mg and 85 MeV∙cm2/mg. The non-saturating behavior of the SEU cross-sections and event cross-sections for a bit cell is observed even over the LET of 60 MeV∙cm2/mg due to the expanding of the sensitive area surrounding the array and the cutting-off area in the FinFET SRAM cells. The distribution curves of the MCU event probabilities for different MCU cluster sizes show the Single-bit upset (SBU) occupies the largest probability of all the single-event cluster sizes, which exhibits the inhibition capability of the Fin structure against the upsets induced by high energy particles. The parasitic bipolar effect is also serious for 16nm FinFET SRAM as former planar SRAM, but the charge sharing effect is effectively inhibited due to the narrow connection between the fin and the bulk region for FinFET. Results presented in this paper will help designers estimate the Error Correcting Code (ECC) and interleaving design parameters for radiation hardened SRAM designs at the 16 nm FinFET process.

Vascular stem cells exist in the three-layer structure of blood vessel walls and play an indispensable role in angiogenesis under physiological conditions and vascular remodeling under pathological conditions. Vascular stem cells are mostly quiescent, but can be activated in response to injury and participate in endothelial repair and neointima formation. Extensive studies have demonstrated the differentiation potential of stem/progenitor cells to repair endothelium and participate in neointima formation during vascular remodeling. The stem cell population has markers on the surface of the cells that can be used to identify this cell population. The main positive markers include Stem cell antigen-1 (Sca1), Sry-box transcription factor 10 (SOX10). Stromal cell antigen 1 (Stro-1) and Stem cell growth factor receptor kit (c-kit) are still controversial. Different parts of the vessel have different stem cell populations and multiple markers. In this review, we trace the role of vascular stem/progenitor cells in the progression of atherosclerosis and neointima formation, focusing on the expression of stem cell molecular markers that occur during neointima formation and vascular repair, as well as the molecular phenotypic changes that occur during differentiation of different stem cell types. To explore the correlation between stem cell molecular markers and atherosclerotic diseases and neointima formation, summarize the differential changes of molecular phenotype during the differentiation of stem cells into smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells, and further analyze the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms of stem cells expressing different positive markers participating in intima formation and vascular repair. Summarizing the limitations of stem cells in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic diseases and the pressing issues that need to be addressed, we provide a feasible scheme for studying the signaling pathways of vascular stem cells involved in vascular diseases.

Additional file 9: Fig. S1. Genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in sMPLC and SPLC. A The density plot showed relatively similar methylation levels in the samples from the sMPLC and SPLC. B Principal component analysis (PCA) based on all CpG sites did not reveal any discernable separation between the two groups. C and D The substantially methylated sites appear to be bimodal distribution and randomly distributed on 22 chromosomes in sMPLC and SPLC. E and F The distribution percentages of the DMP on different gene regions were slightly different between sMPLC and SPLC. G and H GO analyses revealed the DMP in sMPLC and SPLC involved in different biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions. Fig. S2. DNA methylation discrepancies between sMPLC and SPLC. A GO Functional Analysis showed that these DMP are involved in different biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions. B and C DNA methylation level around the transcription starting site (TSS). The methylation patterns around the TSS region were different between sMPLC and SPLC. MC, sMPLC tumors; MN, paired normal lung tissues from sMPLC; SC, SPLC tumors; SN, paired normal lung tissues from SPLC. Fig. S3. RNA-seq and immunofluorescence analyses in sMPLC and SPLC. A and B KEGG pathways analyses in SPLC and sMPLC based on DEG. C and D Significant GO terms analyses in SPLC and sMPLC. More immune-related biological processes and pathways, such as B cell activation, B cell receptor signaling pathway, and IL-17 signaling pathway, were identified in the sMPLC group. E Immunofluorescence analyses of CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD68 confirmed CIBERSORT analysis results. The infiltration of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells had no differences between sMPLC and SPLC. The number of CD68+ lymphocytes was significantly higher in sMPLC (p < 0.01). sMPLC, sMPLC tumors; sMPLC-N, paired normal lung tissues from sMPLC; SPLC, SPLC tumors; SPLC-N, paired normal lung tissues from SPLC.

Supplemental material, sj-docx-2-ict-10.1177_15347354231164584 for Assessing the Relationship Between Liver Metastases and the Survival of Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer After Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by Huilin Xu, Pingpo Ming, Zhenyu Zhao, Nan Zhao, Dingjie Zhou, Xixian Tang and Dedong Cao in Integrative Cancer Therapies

Supplemental material, sj-docx-2-ict-10.1177_15347354231164584 for Assessing the Relationship Between Liver Metastases and the Survival of Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer After Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by Huilin Xu, Pingpo Ming, Zhenyu Zhao, Nan Zhao, Dingjie Zhou, Xixian Tang and Dedong Cao in Integrative Cancer Therapies

Additional file 8: Table S8. Immune-related DEGs in SPLC and sMPLC patients.

Climate change mitigation is the prime priority of businesses in the modern world, making them inclined to opt for clean energy acceptance. From the end-user perspective, acceptance of novel technologies is inevitably vital in promoting such technologies, and certain factors could play an influential role in shaping the acceptance behavior of businesses in embracing those technologies. Against this background, the purpose of this study is to determine the factors that influence the acceptance of solar panel systems (SPS) by small and medium businesses (SMBs) in Pakistan. A questionnaire survey was conducted in seven districts of Pakistan’s Punjab province from December 2021 to February 2022. The data were collected using a Five-point Likert scale. Based on the questionnaire survey, the variance-based structural equation model technique is utilized. The outcomes are: 1) size of the business, ease of using SPS, and credibility of SPS are the top three driving forces. 2) The cost of SPS, and the pressure of competitors are the bottlenecks to the acceptance of SPS, while the absence of technical skills is a neutral factor. 3) According to the effect size and path coefficients, the cost of SPS, and the size of the business are found to be the most significant factors, while the absence of technical skills is found to have less significance. As it is found that economic incentives majorly affect the acceptance of SPS thus, it is concluded that lowering the cost of SPS will increase its acceptance. Based on empirical results, it is suggested to promote public awareness about the environmentally-friendly nature of solar power systems to improve its acceptability at the individual as well as firm levels.

The underbody of a vehicle system, either military or civil, is typically made of a relatively thin metallic plate, thus vulnerable to mine blast attacks. To improve the blast resistance, a multitude of protective structures have been proposed as attachments to the thin plate. In the present study, a novel ultralight all-metallic sandwich panel with three-dimensional (3D) tube cellular cores mounted to the vehicle underbody was envisioned as such a protective system. A metallic substrate (mimicking vehicle bottom) was placed above the proposed sandwich panel to construct a sandwich-substrate combinative structure. A series of sandwich panels having 3D tube cellular cores were fabricated via argon protected welding and laser welding. Mechanical responses of the combinative structure subjected to the denotation of 6 kg TNT explosives shallow-buried in dry sand were experimentally measured. Full numerical simulations with the method of finite elements (FE) were subsequently carried out to explore the physical mechanisms underlying the observed dynamic performance and quantify the effects of key geometrical parameters and connection conditions of the protective system. The performance of the proposed sandwich panel under shallow-buried explosives was also compared with competing sandwich constructions having equal mass. Finally, a preliminary optimal design of the 3D tube cellular core was carried out.

Laser polishing was used to reduce the surface roughness and improve the surface properties of alumina ceramics. In this paper, a response surface experimental design scheme is used to establish a mathematical model based on the Box–Behnken central combination principle, with the surface roughness as the optimization target to optimize the optimal process parameters for the laser polishing of alumina ceramics, to suppress the polished surface cracks by preheating the material, and to study the changes of surface properties of laser-polished alumina ceramics under different preheating temperatures. The optimal laser polishing process parameters were optimized by response surface experiments with a scanning speed of 323.5 mm/s, a laser power of 73.63 W, a pulse frequency of 2.3 kHz, and a scanning spacing of 0.09 mm; compared with the initial surface roughness of 4.67 μm, the polished surface roughness was 0.96 μm under the experimentally optimized polishing parameters, and the surface cracks were suppressed after the preheating treatment. The surface roughness was further reduced to 0.74 μm, and the surface wear coefficient was reduced from 0.5939 to 0.5725, while the surface hardness was increased from 1810 to 2063 HV. Optimization of the laser polishing process parameters through the response surface can significantly reduce the surface roughness of the material, while the flame preheating, assisted by the laser-polished surface wear resistance and hardness, is improved.

Background Alternative splicing (AS) plays important roles in transcriptome and proteome diversity. Its dysregulation has a close affiliation with oncogenic processes. This study aimed to evaluate AS-based biomarkers by machine learning algorithms for lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) patients. Method The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and TCGA SpliceSeq database were utilized. After data composition balancing, Boruta feature selection and Spearman correlation analysis were used for differentially expressed AS events. Random forests and a nested fivefold cross-validation were applied for lymph node metastasis (LNM) classifier building. Random survival forest combined with Cox regression model was performed for a prognostic model, based on which a nomogram was developed. Functional enrichment analysis and Spearman correlation analysis were also conducted to explore underlying mechanisms. The expression of some switch-involved AS events along with parent genes was verified by qRT-PCR with 20 pairs of normal and LUSC tissues. Results We found 16 pairs of splicing events from same parent genes which were strongly related to the splicing switch (intrapair correlation coefficient = − 1). Next, we built a reliable LNM classifier based on 13 AS events as well as a nice prognostic model, in which switched AS events behaved prominently. The qRT-PCR presented consistent results with previous bioinformatics analysis, and some AS events like ITIH5-10715-AT and QKI-78404-AT showed remarkable detection efficiency for LUSC. Conclusion AS events, especially switched ones from the same parent genes, could provide new insights into the molecular diagnosis and therapeutic drug design of LUSC.

Additional file 1: Table S1. Configuration settings of radiomics in the study. Table S2. The nine features selected for the predictive model construction.

Additional file 13: Figure S2. Relationships between clinical features and the risk model. The distribution of risk scores of LUSC patients in different clinical groups. LUSC patients were assigned to different groups according to clinical risk factors. (A) AJCC stage. (B) T stage. (C) N stage. (D) M stage. (E) Vital status. (F) Smoking history. (G) Gender. (H) Age.

Additional file 11: Table S11. The relationships between 26 SFs and selected survival-related AS events.

Smart home IoT systems and devices are susceptible to attacks and malfunctions. As a result, users' concerns about their security and safety issues arise along with the prevalence of smart home deployments. In a smart home, various anomalies (such as fire or flooding) could happen, due to cyber attacks, device malfunctions, or human mistakes. These concerns motivate researchers to propose various anomaly detection approaches. Existing works on smart home anomaly detection focus on checking the sequence of IoT devices' events but leave out the temporal information of events. This limitation prevents them to detect anomalies that cause delay rather than missing/injecting events. To fill this gap, in this paper, we propose a novel anomaly detection method that takes the inter-event intervals into consideration. We propose an innovative metric to quantify the temporal similarity between two event sequences. We design a mechanism to learn the temporal patterns of event sequences of common daily activities. Delay-caused anomalies are detected by comparing the sequence with the learned patterns. We collect device events from a real-world testbed for training and testing. The experiment results show that our proposed method achieves accuracies of 93%, 88%, 89% for three daily activities.

Additional file 2: Table S1. The sequences information of fecal samples. Group: Normal, Model, SNT and Meto represent normal group, model group, Sini Decoction treatment group and metoprolol treatment group, respectively; Seq num: sequences number; Base num: number of bases.

In-circuit impedance provides key information for many EMC applications. The inductive coupling approach is a promising method for in-circuit impedance measurement because its measurement setups have no direct electrical contact with the energized system under test, thus greatly simplifying the on-site implementation. This paper presents and summaries the latest research on the inductive coupling approach and its EMC applications. First of all, three common measurement setups for this approach and their respective pros and cons are discussed. Subsequently, their EMC applications are introduced. Finally, recommendations for future research are listed.

Additional file 12: Figure S1 Supplementary verification of qRT-PCR results. A Product sizes of selected primers. B Online database verification of qRT-PCR results. For each column (from top to bottom), we presented the expression of parent gene, the PSI values of selected AS event, and the PSI values of another AS event (to be paired with the former one) in normal lung samples and LUSC samples in order. RNA expression data in 49 normal lung tissues and 501 LUSC tissues from the TCGA-LUAD database were replenished for the analysis of LDB1, PTPN6, QKI, and ITIH5. N, normal; C, cancer.

TiB2/TiN/WC gradient ceramic tool materials are designed to solve the problem of high brittleness and low toughness of non-gradient ceramic tool materials. The finite element method is used to establish gradient symmetric distribution models with different numbers of layers and thickness ratios and analyze their residual stress distribution. The corresponding gradient ceramic tool materials are prepared by vacuum hot pressing sintering method, the mechanical properties being tested and microstructure observed. The results show that the number of layers, layer thickness ratios and thermal expansion coefficient of each gradient layer affect the distribution of residual stress in different aspects. With the increase of the number of layers or layer thickness ratio, the material surface residual compressive stress increases gradually. The flexural strength and fracture toughness of the tool material with 7 layers and thickness ratio of 1 are 974.8 MPa and 8.5 MPa·m1/2 respectively, and the Vickers hardness of the tool surface is 19.68 GPa, which are 27.68%, 44.07% and 12.26% higher than those of the non-gradient ceramic tool materials. The fracture mode of the surface layer of tool material changes from intergranular fracture to synergistic effect of intergranular fracture and transgranular fracture. The increase of residual compressive stress is the main strengthening and toughening mechanism.

An improved analytical model is developed to predict the dynamic response of clamped lightweight sandwich beams with cellular cores subjected to shock loading over the entire span. The clamped face sheets are simplified as a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system, and the core is idealized using the rigid-perfectly-plastic-locking (RPPL) model. Reflection of incident shock wave is considered by incorporating the bending/stretching resistance of the front face sheet and compaction of the core. The model is validated with existing analytical predictions and FE simulation results, with good agreement achieved. Compared with existing analytical models, the proposed model exhibits superiority in two aspects: the deformation resistance of front face sheet during shock wave reflection is taken into account; the effect of pulse shape is considered. The practical application range of the proposed model is therefore wider. Keywords: Sandwich beam, Cellular core, Shock loading, Analytical model

An asymmetric synthesis of 5-halomethyl pyrazolines and isoxazolines which bear a tertiary stereocenter by catalytic halocyclization of β,γ-unsaturated hydrazones and ketoximes is described. By using Bronsted acids of anionic chiral Co(III) complexes as catalysts, a variety of chiral 5-halomethyl pyrazolines and isoxazolines were obtained in good yields with high enantioselectivities (up to 99% yield, 97:3 er). Preliminary bioassay results indicated that several isoxazoline derivatives exhibited significant antifungal activities.

Free vibration of ultralight all-metallic (Ti-6Al-4V alloy) sandwich beams with corrugated channel cores was investigated by experiments and finite element (FE) simulations. The natural frequencies and mode shapes were measured and compared with simulations from both three-dimensional model (3D model) and two-dimensional equivalent model (2D model). Predictions of the 2D model agreed well with results obtained from the 3D model and experiments. It was found that for sandwich beams, the topological change from corrugated core to corrugated channel core eliminates the anisotropy of the structural stiffness and suppresses the local modes of vibration. The effect of geometrical parameters on the first natural frequency was also explored. In addition, preliminary assessment of the influence induced by varying the core topology was carried out. The first natural frequency of sandwich beams with corrugated channel cores having an inclination angle θ > 45° is higher than those of sandwich beams constructed with competing core topologies, including tetrahedral, Kagome and pyramidal trusses and hexagonal honeycombs.

Metallic circular tube with external uniform grooves has excellent behaviors on axial crashworthiness during axial compression because it can generate stable responses. In the present research, three novel energy absorbers are proposed based on uniform grooved tube (UGT), namely, depth gradient grooved tube (D-GGT), thickness gradient grooved tube (T-GGT) and coupling gradient grooved tube (C-GGT). A theoretical model considering both the depth and thickness gradients and an efficient numerical model based on axisymmetric assumption are put forward. Meanwhile, some quasi-static compression experiments are performed to validate the theoretical and numerical models. The results conclude that the deformation of gradient grooved tubes (GGTs) under axial buckling can be classified into two modes, namely, random asymptotic buckling (RAB) and sequential asymptotic buckling (SAB). Compared with UGT, the D-GGT has a slight improvement on the axial energy performance even though the sum of depth of thin-walled sections is constant; for T-GGT, a force-displacement curve with upward trend and an obvious improvement of energy absorption are observed; specially, the energy absorption characteristics of D-GGT and T-GGT will occur simultaneously when C-GGT is subjected to axial loading.

Novel ultralight sandwich panels, which are comprised of corrugated channel cores and are faced with two identical solid sheets, subjected to generalized bending are optimally designed for minimum mass. A combined analytical and numerical (finite element) investigation is carried out. Relevant failure mechanisms such as face yielding, face buckling, core yielding and core buckling are identified, the load for each failure mode derived, and the corresponding failure mechanism maps constructed. The analytically predicted failure loads and failure modes are validated against direct finite element simulations, with good agreement achieved. The optimized corrugated channel core is compared with competing topologies for sandwich construction including corrugations, honeycombs and lattice trusses, and the superiority of the proposed structure is demonstrated. Corrugated-channel-core sandwich panels hold great potential for multifunctional applications, i.e., simultaneous load bearing and active cooling.

A refined four-unknown quasi-3D zigzag beam theory is developed to model the free vibration and buckling behaviors of multilayered composite beams subjected to axial mechanical loading (e.g., distributed load and terminal force) and uniform temperature variation. Types of the composite beams considered include laminated composite beams, sandwich beams with composite face sheets, and fiber metal laminates. The proposed theory accounts for not only thickness stretching but also interlaminar continuity of transverse shear stresses and displacements. Associated eigenvalue problems for various boundary conditions are derived using the Ritz method. Accuracy and effectiveness of the theoretical predictions are verified by comparison with existing results and present finite element simulations. The theory is employed to quantify the effects of axial distributed load/terminal force and temperature variation on free vibration and buckling for different boundary conditions, geometric parameters and material properties. The present theory could produce sufficiently accurate predictions of natural frequencies and buckling capacities of multilayered beams at a very low computational cost.

Fe3O4 nanoparticle-infiltrated chromatography paper is prepared using a low-cost blending method. Upon characterizing the basic material properties of the Fe3O4/paper nanocomposite, beam-, accordion- and star-shaped actuators are constructed using the nanocomposite and the corresponding actuation performance is investigated experimentally. The beam-shaped actuator exhibits a reversible flexural deformation due to low magnetic hysteresis loop of the Fe3O4/paper nanocomposite, maintaining a stable response after 100 cycles. The accordion-shaped actuator can reach a maximum strain of 100% while the star-shaped actuator can capture a spitball twice heavier than itself.

Dual-level stress plateaus (i.e., relatively short peak stress plateaus, followed by prolonged crushing stress plateaus) in metallic hexagonal honeycombs subjected to out-of-plane impact loading are characterized using a combined numerical and analytical study, with the influence of the strain-rate sensitivity of the honeycomb parent material accounted for. The predictions are validated against existing experimental measurements, and good agreement is achieved. It is demonstrated that honeycombs exhibit dual-level stress plateaus when bucklewaves are initiated and propagate in cell walls, followed by buckling and progressive folding of the cell walls. The abrupt stress drop from peak to crushing plateau in the compressive stress versus strain curve can be explained in a way similar to the quasi-static buckling of a clamped plate. The duration of the peak stress plateau is more evident for strain-rate insensitive honeycombs.

This thesis is organized as follows: Chapter 1 introduces the background, motivation, objectives, and contributions of this thesis. Chapter 2 presents a review of existing online impedance extraction approaches. Chapter 3 proposes the improved measurement setup of the inductive coupling approach and introduces the theory behind time-variant online impedance extraction. Chapter 4 develops a three-term calibration technique for the proposed measurement setup to deembed the effect of the probe-to-probe coupling between the inductive probes with the objective to improve the accuracy of online impedance extraction. Chapter 5 discusses the additional measurement setup consideration in industrial applications where significant electrical noise and power surges are present. Chapter 6 discusses and demonstrates the application of the inductive coupling approach in online detection of the incipient stator faults in the inverter-fed induction motor. Chapter 7 further extends the application of this approach for non-intrusive extraction of the voltage-dependent capacitances of the silicon carbide (SiC) power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). Finally, Chapter 8 concludes this thesis and proposes future works that are worth exploring.

In order to realize the rationality of development sequence and layout of regional substation construction projects and the economic objectives of investment, this paper studies the one-time or stage problems of substation construction, constructs dynamic location and capacity model which explores the cost difference of different substation construction schemes. The model uses ergodic algorithm and harmony search optimization algorithm to adjust the search process and other parameters to improve the ability of global optimization and iteration of the model. Through the optimization constraint relationship, the comprehensive scheme comparison of new substation and expansion is realized, so as to achieve the cost target of the whole process and the minimum number of membership changes. Through a case study, it is proved that the cost management advantages of phased investment and cost of the high voltage line construction can not be ignored. The model provides a new analysis tool for multi-stage cost planning of regional substation location and capacity.

Degradation of the prothioconazole by three strains of microorganisms isolated from activated sludge obtained from a pesticide factory was assessed, and an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QqTOF-MS) method for the determination of prothioconazole and its metabolites was established. The optimal conditions for the degradation of prothioconazole were determined by single factor optimization experiments. A degradation rate of 93.32% is achieved when the prothioconazole is co-cultured with the strain W313 at a cultivation time of 60 h, a cultivation temperature of 30 °C, a pH of 6.33, a prothioconazole concentration of 50 mg L−1, a microorganism volume of 10%, and a dextrose volume of 4%. The three effective microorganism strains were identified by morphological and molecular biology to be Candida tropicalis, Enterobacter cloacae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. UPLC-QqTOF-MS analysis allowed the identification of 62 different prothioconazole degradation products produced by the strain cultures, with prothioconazole-desthio, prothioconazole-dechloropropyl, and oxidizing prothioconazole being the main products. In addition, degradation products from different strains and conditions were compared. The results of scatter plot (S-Plot) analysis indicated that C9H7NO, C10H17N7, and C12H13ClN2O were only detected in the products incubated with Enterobacter cloacae. Thus, this study demonstrates that Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa possesses high potential for bioremediation of prothioconazole-contaminated environments.

CausalML is a Python implementation of algorithms related to causal inference and machine learning. Algorithms combining causal inference and machine learning have been a trending topic in recent years. This package tries to bridge the gap between theoretical work on methodology and practical applications by making a collection of methods in this field available in Python. This paper introduces the key concepts, scope, and use cases of this package.

The security of cloud infrastructure is an important issue. Many solutions have been proposed to protect the integrity of cloud infrastructure through integrating Trusted Computing hardware. However, these existing solutions suffer from high complexity, repetition and latency. In this paper, we propose a blockchain based cloud service dependency attestation framework–CloudCoT (Cloud Chain-of-Trust). With CloudCoT which combines trusted computing and blockchain technology, cloud users are able to automatically extract the valid dependency of their applications deployed on cloud. And they can attest the valid dependency with low latency through its measurement mechanism and verification mechanism. In addition to the decentralized features, we can see that CloudCoT has higher efficiency while maintaining strong safety in experimental evaluation.

A novel sandwich core topology – corrugated channels (periodic fluid-through wavy passages) – was proposed for simultaneous load-bearing and active cooling applications. Relative to a sandwich panel with parallel plate channels, the sandwich with corrugated channel core exhibits not only significantly enhanced convective heat transfer rate but also superior mechanical performance. To explore the underlying deformation and failure mechanisms, corrugated-channel-cored sandwich panels (3CSPs) with low relative densities (

Wrinkles greatly affect the viewing quality of projection screens. Based on the bifurcation buckling theory, a modified model of screen was established. Various methods were introduced to improve the convergence and accuracy of the model. The causes of wrinkles were analyzed. It is found that the crescent wrinkles on side edges were caused by the free boundary conditions while the divergent wrinkles were resulted from the non-uniform displacement of the bottom edge. The simulation and measured results fit well on wave number, amplitude, wavelength, etc. The screen was optimized according to the analysis results and a perfect wrinkle-free screen was achieved after optimization. The method in this paper is proved applicable, accurate and convenient, which can greatly save time and cost for engineering design of large-scale wrinkle-free membrane.

Novel corrugated hierarchical truncated conical shells (HTCS) with corrugated cores were designed for energy absorption under quasi-static axial compression. The crashworthiness of the HTCS were studied by experimental and numerical methods. The influence of the number of corrugations and the number of layers of corrugated core on total energy absorption was quantified. Finally, based on the surrogate model and genetic algorithm of NSGA-II, the structure was optimized with multiple objectives. Increasing either the HS or N or both can form more stable and more plastic hinges and cause obvious coupling effects, beneficial for the HTCS to achieve enhanced resistance to overall buckling and enhanced energy absorption.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a molecular biology technique used to multiply certain deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragments. It is a common and indispensable technique that has been applied in many areas, especially in clinical laboratories. The third generation of polymerase chain reaction, droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR), is a biotechnological refinement of conventional polymerase chain reaction methods that can be used to directly quantify and clonally amplify DNA. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction is now widely used in low-abundance nucleic acid detection and is useful in diagnosis of infectious diseases. Here, we summarized the potential advantages of droplet digital polymerase chain reaction in clinical diagnosis of infectious diseases, including viral diseases, bacterial diseases and parasite infections, concluded that ddPCR provides a more sensitive, accurate, and reproducible detection of low-abundance pathogens and may be a better choice than quantitative polymerase chain reaction for clinical applications in the future.

The ballistic performance of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) laminated plates and UHMWPE encapsulated aluminum structures were numerically characterized. Full three-dimensional continuum model for each type of target was built, and the UHMWPE was simulated using a sub-laminate approach with a composite material model. Simulation results were compared with existing experimental measurements, with good agreement achieved both on final deformation morphology and ballistic data. Underlying penetration mechanisms of laminated plate were then explored, and the effect of interface strength was quantified. The ballistic improvement of UHMWPE encapsulated aluminum structures was mainly attributed to the stretching of lateral swathing laminates. However, the benefit of encapsulation decreased as the initial impact velocity or lateral dimensions of encapsulated structure were increased. These findings are helpful for designing lightweight UHMWPE composite structures with superior ballistic resistance.

All-metallic sandwich panels with lattice truss cores are typically ultralight, stiff and strong, yet poor in passive vibration damping. Novel laser-welded corrugated-core (LASCOR) sandwich panels with polyurea-metal laminates (PML) as face sheets were proposed and fabricated, and their vibration and damping characteristics were systematically investigated, both experimentally and numerically. Frequency/time response curves, natural frequencies, vibration mode shapes and damping loss factors were measured and compared with LASCOR sandwich panels without embedded polyurea layers. A combined finite element-modal strain energy (FE-MSE) method was proposed to predict the vibration damping performance and explore the underlying enhancement mechanisms, with the frequency-dependent damping behaviors of polyurea considered. Good agreement was achieved between numerical simulations and experimental measurements. The PML face sheets enabled remarkable damping enhancement, due mainly to viscoelastic energy dissipation of the polyurea layers. The capacity of the sandwich panel in passive vibration suppression could be further improved by tailoring the polyurea layer thickness and the distribution of polyurea layers.

With the expansion of the pilot area of the electricity spot market in China, how to consider the conditional section to clear the spot market is a new problem faced by dispatching operators. This paper first analyses the impact of conditional section constraints on the clearing of the spot market. Secondly, in order to improve the efficiency of spot market clearing calculation, based on the mode of posterior addition, a fast method of checking condition section is proposed. Thirdly, this method is incorporated into the framework of day-ahead spot market clearing. Finally, the validity of the method is verified by an example analysis of the IEEE118-node system.

How sand filling affects the dynamic response of metallic corrugated sandwich beams under shock loading was characterized, both experimentally and numerically, with shock loading simulated by high-speed impact of aluminum foam projectiles at beam mid-span. To facilitate evaluating the effects of sand filling, both empty and sand-filled corrugated core sandwich beams were assessed and compared for shock resistance. Representative deformation processes, deformation and failure modes, and beam deflections were experimentally obtained and analyzed. Sand-filled sandwich beams exhibited much higher shock resistance than the empty ones. Numerical simulations were subsequently conducted using a coupled discrete particle/finite element approach that takes into account the coupling interaction between the sand grains and corrugation members. The simulations predicted reasonably well the primary features (permanent mid-span deflections and deformation modes) of both the empty and sand-filled sandwich beams observed experimentally. The validated numerical model was employed to evaluate how the properties of the filling sand and other granular filling materials, e.g., density, stiffness, friction and damping, affect the shock resistance of sandwich beams. The results indicated that the shock resistance was sensitive to, firstly, the density and stiffness of sand and, secondly, the friction between sand particles. In contrast, the damping between sand particles had little effect.

Construction of Electric Spot Market has recently begun in China. The coexistence of planned economy and market economy in the electricity market may not change in a short time. Determining the unbalanced funds caused by the settlement of planned economy in the spot market is essential, this paper proposes and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of three settlement methods in the spot market under the integration of planned economy and market economy. This paper emphasizes on the analysis of unbalanced fund caused by the planned economy in the spot market settlement. The different results of one-time and twice settlement of planned economy on unbalanced settlement in the spot market are discussed, and suggestions to the development of Electric Spot Market in China are proposed.

The information service of planting features various service content; scattered and isolated information; diversity of data source and format, as well as high cost of system operation. Since agricultural production decision-making and management have diversified demands on scientific and technological service, a GIS-based planting information service system was designed and developed. This system integrates the geographic information data and planting service thematic data, which is based on multi-source heterogeneous data integration, GIS spatial analysis, responsive framework and other technologies. Through various terminals such as computers and mobile phones, the system provides land circulation information inquiry, soil fertility analysis, crop variety selection, production materials purchase, agricultural technology guidance, labor employment recruitment, agricultural product sales and other comprehensive information services of the whole planting life cycle. It guides farmers to plant rationally, and helps farmers resolve the issues relating to information islands and the information shortage problem in production and life by “one-stop”, and increase the famers’ income. It can also provide decision-making gist for agricultural administrative departments to adjust planting structure, optimize the rural industrial layout and related policy formulation. Through demonstration in Zhucheng, a new model for serving “agriculture, rural areas and farmers” with surveying and mapping geographic information has been formed in terms of resource integration, geospatial data services, and service information access.

At present, most of the strapdown seekers use the combination of infrared single band and single field of view to match and intercept the target, but this method is susceptible to factors such as target/background characteristic, detector performance, field of view in increasingly complex battlefield environment. On the basis of retaining the original single medium wave infrared large field of view of a strapdown seeker, a new type of IR dual band/dual field of view seeker was proposed by adding two long wave large and small field of view. By using the image fusion of medium and long wave dual band and the switching of dual field of view under long wave infrared, the difference between target and background feature information was highlighted, which can effectively improve the interception probability of missile to target. The optical system was designed with CODE V software. The whole system adopted the common aperture optical design, which had good imaging quality and meets the system requirements.