Search

• Model monopoly ride-sourcing marketwith human-driven vehicles and autonomous vehicles; • Consider congestion externality under mixed traffic flowof HVs and AVs; • Consider heterogeneity onride-sourcingriders' perceived utility; • Reveal non-monotonicity ofdemand rates with respectto platform's strategies; • Gain managerial insightsinto operational strategies of mixed on-demand ride services; • Explore an extended scenario considering the integrated serviceof HVs and AVs. We model a monopoly ride-sourcing market where the platform adopts the service types of human-driven vehicles (HVs) and autonomous vehicles (AVs). Both congestion externality under mixed traffic flow and heterogeneity on riders' perceived utility of the ride-sourcing service are considered when formulating the mode choice behavior of riders. We analyze the impact of the platform's fleet size and its price for riders on demand rates and riders' waiting time in the market equilibrium state. The analytical results show that the demand rates of mixed on-demand ride service types are not necessarily monotonous to the price for riders or the fleet size, due to the congestion externality and existence of a wild goose chase regime. Under either profit maximization or welfare maximization strategies, numerical results demonstrate that a higher pure AV traffic flow capacity benefits human ride-sourcing drivers and both types of riders. The platform should arrange more AVs than HVs even under the high AV depreciation cost. In a surging demand scenario, the platform should encourage riders to switch from the HV service to the AV service through price regulation. Moreover, an extended scenario considering the integrated service is discussed. The economic analysis and gained managerial insights benefit the on-demand ride services platform's decision making on operational strategies of HVs and investment in AVs with mixed traffic congestion effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Explore attributes that impact the platform choice behavior of multi-homing drivers. • Combine random forest with multinomial logistic regression to analyze multi-homing behaviour. • Employ multinomial logistic regression to model platform switching behaviour. • Provide managerial suggestions for government and ride-sourcing platforms. • Empirically explore real-world city-wide data collected on multiple ride-sourcing platforms. Multi-homing behavior refers to the behavior that ride-sourcing drivers simultaneously register and sequentially provide services on multiple ride-sourcing platforms. The multi-homing behavior of ride-sourcing drivers significantly impacts the competition among multiple ride-sourcing platforms in a competitive market. To better understand the multi-homing behavior, we present exploratory evidence on the factors that influence drivers' platform switching behavior. The RF-MNL (random forest multinomial logistic regression) framework is applied to analyze multi-homing driver behavior in a competitive ride-sourcing market. Multinomial logistic regression (MLR) is adopted to model the platform switching behavior of multi-homing drivers. The random forest is employed to seek the best combination of variables for the MLR model, which is calibrated by using the one-month multi-platform ride-sourcing data in Hangzhou, China. A variety of explanatory variables that influence ride-sourcing drivers' multi-homing behavior are estimated. The results show that the driver's socio-demographic characteristics, income level, bonus income (e.g., long-distance price rise), and work time related factors (e.g., the time gap of order dispatching, and wait time) play an essential role in determining the platform switching decision. This study corroborates the evidence of significant factors that impact drivers' switching from one ride-sourcing platform to another, which can support decision-making for ride-sourcing platforms to attract drivers serving the platform exclusively. We also examine how heterogeneity in drivers' multi-homing tendencies affects the platform's policy. To our best knowledge, this paper is one of the first quantitative studies that empirically reveal the commonly observed multi-homing behavior of ride-sourcing drivers by exploring real-world city-wide data collected on multiple platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Formulateduopoly competition between two heterogeneous ride-sourcing platforms. • Considerasset-lightandasset-heavy strategiesin the ride-sourcing market. • Develop generalized waiting time cost function with increasing returns to scale. • Deriveoptimal pricing strategies with adoption of EVs under competition equilibrium. • Propose an optimization modelfor the determination of optimal subsidy strategies. • Suggest government coordinate subsidies on the EVs purchase and charging stations. This paper formulates duopoly competition between two non-cooperative heterogeneous ride-sourcing platforms considering the adoption of electric vehicles (EV) and government subsidies on EVs. One ride-sourcing platform adopts an EV asset-heavy strategy by undertaking EV depreciation costs, while the other ride-sourcing platform adopts an asset-light strategy by hiring drivers who own vehicles. The first-order conditions of each platform's pricingunder competitive equilibrium are derived based on a game-theoretical model that involves the stakeholders (i.e., riders, drivers, and ride-sourcing platforms). Based on the modeling framework ofduopoly competition between two heterogeneous ride-sourcing platforms, this paper proposes an optimization model with social welfare maximization for the determination of governmentsubsidy strategies. We conduct numerical illustrations to demonstrate how governmental subsidies on EV purchase and charging stations impact the endogenous variables in equilibrium (e.g., price for riders, wage for drivers, and market share for each platform) under different formulations of riders' waiting time cost function, which are increasing returns to scale. Also, a specialmodel with a fixed commission ratio is discussed. The results provide suggestions for decision-makers on how to allocate subsidy within the budget constraint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Derive an analytical framework to determine the optimal matching time interval. • Analyze demand and supply curves under immediate matching strategies. • Optimize the platform's fleet size and price strategies. • Archieve joint profit maximization, social welfare, and second-best optimum. • Illustrate properties of pricing strategies under two immediate matching strategies. Supply/demand characteristics and price strategies in the ride-sourcing market are affected by matching strategies. In particular, immediate matching strategies are widely adopted to tackle supply–demand imbalance issues. This paper studies a two-sided ride-sourcing market under two immediate matching strategies: driver-first-come-first-serve and passenger-first-come-first-serve. In the former, the system is considered over-saturated with passengers, such that any driver is matched immediately upon posting their availability. Therefore, the market would be devoid of waiting drivers. In comparison, the latter strategy is oversaturated with drivers, such that any newly arriving passenger is immediately matched, and there are no waiting passengers in the system. We first derive generalized supply and demand functions and prove that the immediate matching strategies are optimal to maximize the number of completed trips under certain conditions based on equilibrium analysis. Then, we characterize the market equilibrium and discuss the properties of the wild-goose-chase phenomenon under two immediate matching strategies. We optimize the ride-sourcing platform's strategies to achieve a joint profit of platform and driver maximization (monopoly optimum), social welfare maximization (social optimum), and second-best optimum (entailing a reservation profit for the platform). Numerical experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effects of user heterogeneity, and the properties of pricing strategies under both matching strategies on the monopolistic and social optimal solution. The gained managerial insights provide suggestions for decision-makers to coordinate supply and demand in the ride-sourcing market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose a 1D analytical model for thermal chemical solution stimulation. • Investigate the performance of hydrate dissociation with different phase equilibrium curves analytically and numerically. • The position of moving dissociation front for four chemical solution are compared. • Delicate mathematical derivation are reported to be guideline for validation of our model and possible solutions of related future engineering problem. By introducing a moving dissociation interface, we build an analytical model of natural gas hydrate dissociation in porous media under thermal chemical solution stimulation method. Analytical solution of temperature distribution, pressure distribution are obtained by employing similarity solution. We investigate the behaviors of four thermal chemical solutions stimulation on hydrate dissociation and focus on the performance of hydrate dissociation under thermal 18 % A l C l 3 solution stimulation method including temperature distribution, pressure distribution, gas production volume, injected heat flux and compare to the performance under thermal pure water stimulation, showing the influence of changing phase equilibrium curve to hydrate dissociation. Parameters sensitivity analysis of hydrate dissociation is also presented in this paper. The advantages of inputting thermal chemical solution are the reduction of initial energy injection and variation of hydrate phase equilibrium curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose a two-period game-theoretic model for asymmetric ride-sourcing platforms; • Leader operates a mixed fleet of EVs and GVs, and follower adopts an all-EV fleet; • Capture differentiated wages and asymmetry of market position and decision-making sequence; • Derive follower's and leader's long-term decisions' impacts on demand and supply analytically; • Reveal mathematical properties of demand and waiting time with respect to follower's strategies; • Gain managerial insights into government regulation on asymmetric ride-sourcing market. In the current ride-sourcing market, significant differences generally exist among various platforms: market share, market position, and vehicle type. Most previous studies focus on symmetric duopoly competition and assume that platforms have similar market power and size. However, much less is known about the operation strategy and market outcome under platform heterogeneity and asymmetry. This paper proposes a two-period Stackelberg-based model to formulate the competition between two asymmetric ride-sourcing platforms and captures the differentiated decision-making sequence and driver utilities under mixed fleets. In the proposed model, the established leader platform operates a mixed fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) and gasoline vehicles (GVs), while the emerging follower platform adopts an all-EV fleet. The mathematical mechanism of how the follower's and leader's decisions impact the demand and supply is analytically derived. It is found that the influence path of the leader's pricing on the supply can be divided into direct and indirect ways. In some cases, the leader can utilize the leadership position to promote the electrification of ride-sourcing services. The impact of potential EV and GV drivers on the platforms' optimal strategies and the surplus of passengers and drivers are also examined. We show that more potential EV drivers benefit both platforms, while fewer potential GV drivers are only conducive to the follower. Moreover, two extended models associated with entry deterrence, order-based wage, and additional profit are developed. The deterrence strategy of the leader platform indirectly accelerates ride-souring electrification and significantly reduces passengers' average waiting time. The economic analysis gains managerial insights into platform operations on the realistic asymmetric ride-sourcing market under transportation electrification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Model multi-homing ride-sourcing drivers' decision sequence on platform switching. • Develop dynamic decision model based on high-order hidden Markov model (HO-HMM). • Present the merits of HO-HMM in exploring individual characteristics and preferences. • Reveal interdependencies of hidden platform preferences of multi-homing ride-sourcing drivers. • Verify superiority of HO-HMMs by city-wide real-wrold multiple platforms data. Ride-sourcing drivers enjoy flexibility in scheduling work hours and choosing platforms, which generates multi-homing behavior on multiple platforms. It is challenging to observe the labor supply of multi-homing ride-sourcing drivers due to data limitations, which motivates our research on modeling drivers' dynamic decisions on labor supply in the competitive ride-sourcing market with multiple platforms. We propose a dynamic discrete choice framework by modeling drivers' high-frequency decision sequences on platform switching as high-order hidden Markov processes and considering time-varying factors. The high-order hidden Markov framework relaxes the first-order Markovian assumption and builds interdependencies of unobserved states across multiple time periods. The estimation of the proposed model takes advantage of city-scale multiple platforms datasets in Hangzhou, China, including more than 16 million records of the order payment information and more than 46 thousand records of active ride-sourcing drivers' information. The case study results indicate that the high-order hidden Markov model (HO-HMM) has superior explanatory power in fitting multiple platforms datasets than the multinomial logit model and the first-order hidden Markov model. HO-HMM performs an advantage in modeling the extended historical dependency of drivers' decisions and individual driver behavior modeling with high interpretability. The results uncover the variations of drivers' attitudes in different hidden (unobservable) states and towards different platforms. In general, ride-sourcing drivers respond actively and positively to income and working time. The findings support the platforms' decision-making on pricing, reward, and personalized management of ride-sourcing drivers, and provide beneficial suggestions for improving income in the competitive ride-sourcing market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose a novel nested two-sided market model with integrated ride-sourcing and electric vehicle (EV) charging services. • Consider differentiated charging pricing and priority of ride-sourcing and private EV drivers. • Reveal mathematical properties of EV drivers' charging behavior, passengers' mode choices, and platform's decisions. • Derive optimal states of profit maximization, social optimum, and Pareto optimality. • Analyze potential impact of introducing integrated services with two strategies. • Gain managerial insights into platform operations and government regulation. This paper proposes a novel nested two-sided market framework to investigate integrated ride-sourcing (RS) and electric vehicle (EV) charging services considering mixed electric and gasoline vehicles (GVs). In the proposed integrated scheme, a monopoly RS platform builds or purchases charging piles to provide RS and private EV drivers with additional differentiated services (i.e., different charging prices and priority) besides public charging piles. Both RS and private drivers with different charging pile ownership are considered. The complex endogenous correlations between RS and charging services are formulated. The mathematical properties of drivers' charging behavior, passengers' mode choices, and platform's operation strategies are analytically derived, which is closely related to the differentiated priority of drivers. The conditions for judging the profitability of the RS and charging business under profit maximization strategies are obtained. We examine and compare the potential impact of introducing integrated services with two strategies and identify the sufficient conditions to boost total profit by providing the integrated services. It is rigorously proved that the integrated services benefit passengers and specific driver groups, while it may be harmful to the environment under a high RS electrification level. The Pareto-efficient frontiers indicate that the charging price for RS drivers in the social optimum regime is higher than that in the profit maximization regime. The analytical results gain managerial insights into platform operations and government regulation of integrated RS and charging services in the RS market under mixed fleets of EVs and GVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reveal the coupling characteristics of sessile ethanol droplet evaporation and induced thermal flow in its pure vapor system at low pressure, a series of three-dimensional numerical simulations were carried out on the ethanol droplet evaporation on a copper substrate. The droplet radius is 2.5 mm. The droplet height ranges from 2.2 to 0.4 mm. To investigate the effect of vapor pressure, two pressure ratios (η) of 0.9 and 0.6 are chosen. The results show that, when η = 0.9, regardless of the droplet height, the surface temperature distribution in most areas is always uniform. However, when η = 0.6, several surface thermal patterns appear. Because of the evaporation, the substrate temperature distribution always has the lowest value near the contact line. The thermal pattern evolution will affect the evaporation rate and the substrate temperature distribution dynamically. When η = 0.6, the evaporation rate shows a non-monotonic variation trend with the decrease of the height. Although the droplet size is larger than the capillary length, buoyancy has little effect on the thermal pattern evolution and evaporation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a set of linear-stability analysis results of the thermocapillary-buoyancy convection in an annular two-layer system of 5cSt silicone oil and HT-70 with a radial temperature gradient. The annular two-layer system is heated at the outer cylindrical wall and cooled at the inner wall. The effects of the depth ratio, the radius ratio and the aspect ratio of the annular pool on the critical conditions for the convection transition are analyzed. The flow destabilizing mechanism is identified. Results indicate that the hydrothermal wave, or the combined hydrothermal wave and three-dimensional oscillatory flow, should be responsible for the flow destabilization when the stable thermocapillary-buoyancy convection transits to the three-dimensional oscillatory convection. With the increase of the radius ratio of the annular pool, the critical Marangoni number, wave number and phase velocity all decrease. With the increase of the depth ratio η , the critical Marangoni number initially increases before a dramatic decrease. The maximum value of the critical Marangoni number locates in the range of η = 0.625–0.833. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prailupose: The present report describes a flapless extraction method for partially impacted mandibular third molars and compares the effects of flap and flapless extractions of the teeth in terms of postoperative pain, swelling, and pocket depth of the second molar. Patients and Methods: A prospective study was performed of 27 patients who underwent bilateral extraction of partially impacted mandibular third molars. Two molars in the same patient were extracted on each side, either with or without a buccal flap. Results: The postoperative pain, swelling, and pocket depth of the second molar were all significantly greater on the side that underwent flap extraction than on the side that underwent flapless extraction (P < .05). Conclusions: Our results support the clinical use of flapless extractions when the distal surface of the crown is completely anterior to the anterior border of the mandibular ramus and the occlusal surface of the impacted tooth is level or nearly level with the occlusal plane of the second molar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Flapless implant surgery has been shown to accelerate recovery and increase the vascularity of the peri-implant mucosa after implant placement. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare dental implant stabilization patterns between flap and flapless implant surgeries over the first 8 weeks after implant placement. Study design: In 6 mongrel dogs, bilateral, edentulated, and flat alveolar ridges were created in the mandible. After 3 months of healing, 2 implants (Straumann SLA-active) were placed in each side of the mandible using either a flap or flapless procedure. The implant stability quotient (ISQ) that was obtained from Osstell Mentor was measured at the time of implantation and weekly over the first 8 weeks after implant placement. Results: Implants stabilized more quickly without flap elevation than with flap elevation. For flapless implants, an increase in stability occurred after 2 weeks without a period of decreasing stability. However, for flap implants, a shift in implant stability from decreasing stability to increasing stability occurred after 2 weeks. Conclusion: In the canine model, flapless surgical placement of implants may increase the initial stability of implants compared with implants placed after the reflection of the mucoperiosteal flap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite several reports on the clinical outcomes of flapless implant surgery, limited information exists regarding the clinical conditions after flapless implant surgery. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the soft tissue conditions and marginal bone changes around dental implants 1 year after flapless implant surgery. Study design: For the study, 432 implants were placed in 241 patients by using a flapless 1-stage procedure. In these patients, peri-implant soft tissue conditions and radiographic marginal bone changes were evaluated 1 year after surgery. Results: None of the implants were lost during follow-up, giving a success rate of 100%. The mean probing depth was 2.1 mm (SD 0.7), and the average bleeding on probing index was 0.1 (SD 0.3). The average gingival index score was 0.1 (SD 0.3), and the mean marginal bone loss was 0.3 mm (SD 0.4 mm; range 0.0-1.1 mm). Ten implants exhibited bone loss of >1.0 mm, whereas 125 implants experienced no bone loss at all. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that flapless implant surgery is a predictable procedure. In addition, it is advantageous for preserving crestal bone and mucosal health surrounding dental implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In an attempt to help produce guidelines for the use of soft tissue punches, this animal study was undertaken to examine the effects of soft tissue punch size on the healing of peri-implant tissue in a canine mandible model. Study design: Bilateral, edentulous, flat alveolar ridges were created in the mandibles of 6 mongrel dogs. After a 3-month healing period, 3 fixtures (diameter 4.0 mm) were placed on each side of the mandible using 3-mm, 4-mm, or 5-mm soft tissue punches. After subsequent healing periods of 3 weeks and 3 months, the peri-implant mucosa was evaluated using clinical, radiologic, and histometric parameters, which included gingival index, bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth, marginal bone loss, and vertical dimension measurements of the peri-implant tissues. Results: The results obtained showed significant differences (P < .05) between the 3-mm, 4-mm, and 5-mm tissue punch groups for the length of the junctional epithelium, probing depth, and marginal bone loss at both 3 weeks and 3 months after implant placement. When the mucosa was punched with a 3-mm tissue punch, the length of the junctional epithelium was shorter, the probing depth was shallower, and less crestal bone loss occurred than when using a tissue punch with a diameter ≥4 mm. Conclusions: The results show that the size of the soft tissue punch plays an important role in achieving optimal healing. The findings support the use of a tissue punch slightly narrower than the implant itself to obtain better peri-implant tissue healing around flapless implants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Treatment of terminal alkynes with PhI(OAc)2 in different acids at 70°C provided the corresponding α-acyloxy ketones in good to excellent yields. A plausible mechanism has been proposed based on the experimental results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Propose a duopoly evolutionary game model for the dynamic ride-hailing market. • Capture bounded rationality, strategic learning, and dynamic competition between platforms. • Identify the existence of stationary points and derive simplified stability conditions. • Establish two extended models to capture the service aggregator and mixed electric/fuel fleets. • Provide a fresh perspective for exploring dynamic ride-hailing competition and market evolution. The platform competition in a real-world ride-hailing market is complex and dynamic. Existing research mainly relies on static competitive equilibrium, lacking an understanding of the dynamic evolution process of platform competition. This paper develops a generic duopoly evolutionary game model to capture dynamic decision adjustments and the evolution of market conditions. Bounded rationality and strategic learning are integrated into the modeling to dissect the interaction and competition between two platforms. The existence of stationary points where the system states remain unchanged over time is identified, and simplified stability conditions are derived. A pure strategy pair is found stable when constituting a strict Nash equilibrium and corresponding to positive payoffs. We establish two extended models to capture the nascent service aggregator and mixed electric/fuel fleets and compare them with the basic model. The model is calibrated employing the ride-hailing data of New York and is applicable for analyzing the market evolution under different states. The impacts of potential demand drop, aggregated services, and mixed fleets on platform decision and driver-passenger choice evolution are unveiled. It is found that the platforms possess self-recovery capability when facing a deteriorated external environment. The decision-making of the small platform exhibits a more substantial inertia and volatility since the large platform's decision can easily influence the market supply and demand. In the initial stage, the service aggregator slightly harms the large platform, but in the long run, it benefits both platforms. Besides, both platforms reduce prices while inflating commission ratios under mixed fleets. This study provides a fresh perspective for exploring the real-world dynamic ride-hailing competition and market evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Porous honeycomb copper surface with radial diameter gradient was fabricated. • Has superior heat transfer performance than samples with uniform pore diameters. • The heat transfer coefficient can be as high as 16.1 W•cm–2 K–1. • The diameter gradient lead to larger K / R eff , lower Δ T ONB and faster bubble growth. Boiling heat transfer (BHT) is widely used in industry and in our daily lives, and it can be enhanced by micro/nano structures. Previously, porous honeycomb copper surfaces have been proven to significantly enhance BHT performance, but how a radial pore diameter gradient affects BHT is still unknown. In this paper, two porous honeycomb copper surfaces with uniform pore diameters of 60 and 120 μm, respectively (named Sample#U1 and Sample#U2), were prepared using the electrochemical deposition method. On this basis, a porous honeycomb surface with a radial diameter gradient was prepared by infusing liquid onto the reaction surface during the deposition process. The range of pore diameters from the center to the edge was 60–120 μm (named Sample#G1). Pool boiling experiment results showed that the sample with the radial diameter gradient had superior heat transfer performance. Sample#G1, with the smallest pores at the center and largest pores at the edge, had a maximum nucleate BHT coefficient h MNB of 16.1 W•cm–2 K–1, which was about 1.4 times that of Sample#U2, 1.5 times that of Sample#U1, and 3.5 times that of a pure copper surface. It was assumed that surfaces with a radial diameter gradient had a superior rewetting ability, and this was confirmed in a capillary wicking experiment. The K/R eff of the sample with the radial diameter gradient was larger than those of the samples with uniform diameter, which indicated that a radial diameter gradient surface could quickly accelerate the replenishment of water in pool boiling. A porous structure provides pores and cavities, which was benefit for activate bubble nucleation under a low superheat. Sampe#G1 had the lowest Δ T ONB. The bubble dynamics also proved that the sample with the radial diameter gradient had a faster bubble growth speed than those with a uniform diameter, resulting in faster heat removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose a novel consolidated shared charging and electric ride-sourcing services. • Optimize decisions on shared charging services for the ride-sourcing platform. • Dissect mathematical properties of market equilibrium under shared charging. • Conduct numerical experiments to illustrate market outcomes of shared charging program. • Provide suggestions for operations of the shared charging program. The shortage of charging facilities under the trend of transportation electrification brings a significant challenge to electric ride-sourcing operations. As a component of sharing economy, flourishing shared charging consolidates idle charging resources, providing a promising solution to this problem. We propose a shared charging program where the ride-sourcing platform acts as an intermediary and rents shareable charging posts from private post owners to facilitate the charging demand of ride-sourcing drivers. A utility-based modeling framework is established to dissect the intricate behavioral interactions among post owners, drivers, and riders. The analytical results reveal that supply and demand monotonicity with respect to shared charging fee and commission rate varies with different returns to scale of riders' waiting time functions. Then, we mathematically derive the first-order optimality solutions of the joint decisions on shared charging (i.e., rental fee, and charging fee) and ride-sourcing (i.e., commission rate, and price) sectors under monopoly optimality and social optimality, respectively. The platform can adopt a relatively high shared charging fee and low rental fee to gain more profit when the rider demand is insensitive to the commission rate. If the government focuses more on the private post owner surplus, it should ensure relatively high price elasticity under optimal pricing to better protect their welfare. Finally, we numerically discuss how potential shared charging posts impact the market states and compare the outcomes between ride-sourcing-only and shared charging programs. It is found that the shared charging service improves the platform profit, social welfare, rider surplus, and driver surplus, while inducing higher commission rates and prices. The economic analysis gains insights into shared charging for electric ride-sourcing services and highlights the potential of sharing solutions in promoting sustainable urban mobility services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fourteen novel tumor-targeting copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes, [Cu(ONQ)(QD1)(NO 3)]·CH 3 OH (NQ3), [Cu(ONQ)(QD2)(NO 3)] (NQ2), [Cu(NQ)(QD2)Cl] (NQ3), [Cu(ONQ)(QD1)Cl] (NQ4), [Cu(ONQ)(QD3)](NO 3) (NQ5), [Cu(ONQ)(QD3)Cl] (NQ6), [Zn(ONQ)(QD4)Cl] (NQ7), [Zn(ONQ)(QD1)Cl] (NQ8), [Zn(ONQ)(QD5)Cl] (NQ9), [Zn(ONQ)(QD2)Cl] (NQ10), [Zn(ONQ)(QD6)Cl] (NQ11), [Zn(ONQ)(QD7)Cl] (NQ12), and [Zn(ONQ)(QD3)Cl] (NQ13) supported on 8-hydroxyquinoline- N -oxide (H-ONQ), 2,2′-dipyridyl (QD1), 5,5′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridyl (QD2), 1,10-phenanthroline (QD3), 4,4′-dimethoxy-2,2′-bipyridyl (QD4), 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridyl (QD5), 5-chloro-1,10-phenanthroline (QD6), and bathophenanthroline (QD7), were first synthesized and characterized using various spectroscopic techniques. Furthermore, NQ1 – NQ13 exhibited higher antiproliferative activity and selectivity for cisplatin-resistant SK-OV-3/DDP tumor cells (CiSK3) compared to normal HL-7702 cells based on results obtained from the cell counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The complexation of copper(II) ion with QD2 and ONQ ligands resulted in an evident increase in the antiproliferation of NQ1–NQ6 , with NQ6 exhibiting the highest antitumor potency against CiSK3 cells compared to NQ1–NQ5 , H-ONQ, QD1 – QD7, and NQ7–NQ13 as well as the reference cisplatin drug with an IC 50 value of 0.17 ± 0.05 μM. Mechanistic studies revealed that NQ4 and NQ6 induced apoptosis of CiSK3 cells via mitophagy pathway regulation and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion. Further, the differential induction of mitophagy decreased in the order of NQ6 > NQ4 , which can be attributed to the major impact of the QD3 ligand with a large planar geometry and the Cl leaving group within the NQ6 complex. In summary, these results confirmed that the newly synthesized H-ONQ copper(II) and zinc(II) coordination metal compounds NQ1–NQ13 exhibit potential as anticancer drugs for cisplatin-resistant ovarian CiSK3 cancer treatment. 8-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes could cause SK-OV-3/DDP cell apoptosis via mitophagy induction and ATP depletion. [Display omitted] • Tumor-targeting complexes NQ1 − NQ13 have been prepared. • These complexes are more selective for SK-OV-3/DDP tumor cells versus HL-7702 normal cells. • NQ4 and NQ6 could cause SK-OV-3/DDP cell apoptosis via mitophagy induction and ATP depletion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract NiO-ZnO/RGO composite was obtained by the annealing of an Ni (OH) 2 -Zn (OH) 2 /RGO precursor, which has been fabricated by in situ ultrasonic agitation. Moreover, the NiO-ZnO nanoflakes are evenly distributed on the RGO sheets based on the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) characterization results. When the NiO-ZnO/RGO composite was used as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the electrodes exhibited a high reversible capacity of 1017 mA h/g at a current density of 100 mA/g after 200 cycles and a specific capacity of 458 mA h/g at 500 mA/g even after 400 cycles. The electrode even reached a capacity of 185 mA h/g at a current density of 2000 mA/g. The excellent electrochemical properties of the NiO-ZnO/RGO composite might be attributable to the NiO-ZnO nanoflakes offering rich electrochemical reaction sites and shortening the diffusion length for lithium ion (Li+), as well as the RGO sheets improving the transfer rates of Li+ and electron during the charge-discharge process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZB1 – ZB8 exhibited selective cytotoxicity to SK-OV-3/DDP cells than for HL-7702 cells. In addition, ZB6 and ZB8 also caused mitochondrial dysfunction. [Display omitted] • Eight new nickel(II) complexes ZB1 – ZB8 have been prepared. • ZB1 – ZB8 exhibited selective cytotoxicity toward SK-OV-3/DDP versus HL-7702. • ZB6 and ZB8 inhibited cell growth by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction. • ZB8 also caused mitochondrial dysfunction better than ZB6 did. Herein, eight new nickel(II) complexes, [Ni(AQL) 2 (bd1)] (ZB1), [Ni(AQL) 2 (bd2)] (ZB2), [Ni(AQL) 2 (bd3)]·3CH 3 OH (ZB3), [Ni(AQL) 2 (bd4)]·3CH 3 OH (ZB4), [Ni(AQL) 2 (bd5)]·CH 3 OH (ZB5), [Ni(AQL) 2 (bd6)] (ZB6), [Ni(AQL) 2 (bd7)]·2CH 3 OH (ZB7) and [Ni(AQL) 2 (bd8)]·3CH 3 OH (ZB8) with 2-amino-8-quinolinol (H-AQL) and 2,2′-bipyridine derivatives (bd1 – bd8), have been synthesized and characterized. ZB1 – ZB8 exhibited selective cytotoxicity to SK-OV-3/DDP (SKP) tumor cells (IC 50 = 5.09–10.32 μM) than for HL-7702 normal cells (>50 μM). Remarkably, ZB6 and ZB8 can cause mitochondrial dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose a multi-stage game-theoretic model to reveal coupling game among stakeholders. • Model decisions of heterogeneous passengers/drivers and ride-sourcing platform. • Derive endogenous influences of platform subsidy strategies on drivers and passengers. • Gain insights into optimizing ride-sourcing platform subsidy strategies under regulation. • Conduct numerical experiments to illustrate response curves to platform subsidies. • Provide suggestions for the platform and support government decision-making. Under governmental regulation of ride-sourcing platforms, subsidies on passengers and drivers have become an effective incentive to coordinate supply and demand. To achieve the optimization goal of both growth and savings, platforms need to know the impact of the two subsidies on coordinating the supply and demand and what amount of the subsidy is appropriate. This paper formulates a multi-stage game-theoretic model to reveal the coupling game among heterogeneous passengers, heterogeneous drivers, and the ride-sourcing platform in the on-demand ride services market regulated by the government. In this model, passengers with heterogeneous willingness to pay have heterogeneous coupon costs, while drivers are divided into part-time drivers and full-time drivers. We analyze the endogenous influence of platform subsidy strategies on drivers' and passengers' decision-making during surge and regular periods. Numerical experiments are conducted to illustrate the response curves to platform subsidies. The analytical and numerical results show that when the subsidy on passengers is moderate, the rapid demand growth during the regular period can be achieved. Precise subsidies on part-time drivers can achieve the same effect as subsidizing both part-time and full-time drivers, which increases supply and generates higher profits at a lower subsidy cost. Platform subsidies benefit the platform, passengers, and drivers, but may increase driving fatigue. When the subsidy budget is limited, the platform should prioritize subsidizing passengers before providing subsidies for drivers during the surge period. Finally, we discuss the impacts of governmental regulation on different stakeholders. This research gains insights into optimizing subsidy strategies of the ride-sourcing platform under government regulation and budget constraint, and the results provide suggestions for the platform and support government decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oxidation of cyclohexane is an important route in the chemical industries for producing cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, plasticizers, surfactants and so on. However, it will be in danger of explosion once the concentration of cyclohexane in the mixture exceeds the explosion limit. Therefore, it is necessary to research the temperature distribution and flow characteristics in Rayleigh-Bénard (RB) convection of cyclohexane/oxygen mixture to avoid the potential hazard of deflagration. In this paper, a set of three-dimensional simulations were performed to understand RB flow characteristics of cyclohexane/oxygen mixture near the maximum density in a rectangular container with an aspect ratio of 2. Rayleigh (Ra) number ranges from 2 × 103 to 6 × 105. Results show that the density inversion has a notable influence on RB convection of cyclohexane/oxygen mixture. The critical Rayleigh numbers for the onset of stable flow and for the oscillatory flow show an upward tendency with increasing density inversion parameter (Θ m). When Θ m is small, the flow occurs in the whole cavity. When Θ m is large, the fluid layer near the top wall is static in the region. Multiple flow states and their evolutions are obtained at various Θ m. The heat transfer ability is enhanced with increasing Ra , while it weakens with increasing Θ m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Develop a multi-agent reinforcement learning enhanced agent-based modeling and simulation framework. • Integrate the simulation environment with a multi-agent reinforcement-learning algorithm. • Train agents that successfully generate competitive spatial-temporal pricing strategy. • Find that competitive spatial-temporal pricing outperforms other strategy on maximizing profit. • Explore the performance of pricing strategy on other aspects under various scenario. With the advancement of autonomous driving, the competition between shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) and the existing human-driven vehicles (HVs) ride-sourcing platforms has emerged as a prominent research area within the fields of transportation and management. Solving the pricing problem, considering the competition between HV and SAV platforms, is critical for the platform's operation. The competitive pricing problem is hard to solve since it is a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP), that is, only the strategies of other platforms (such as price and wage) are observable, while their states are unobservable. It is also a multivariable sequential problem pricing since spatial-temporal pricing varies with region and time. To tackle this complex problem, this paper implements the multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) approach of multi-agent deep deterministic policy gradient (MADDPG) to an mesoscopic simulation system. The simulation replicates the intricate dynamics within a competitive environment where SAV and HV platforms coexist. MADDPG effectively resolves the competitive pricing issue using data derived from simulation. The findings indicate that the SAV platform secures greater profits with a smaller fleet, as it eliminates the need to compensate drivers. Meanwhile, for the same reason, even with fewer vehicles, the SAV platform can set lower prices to attract more passengers and thereby generate higher profits. We further evaluate the efficacy of dynamic pricing versus spatial-temporal pricing and discover that spatial-temporal pricing yields greater profits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Transient evolution of nascent liquid film during initial condensation is studied • Three stages are recognized by interfacial mass flux from adsorption to condensation • The heat and mass fluxes determined by two independent methods show good agreement A hybrid theoretical and simulation method is employed to investigate the transient characteristics of heat and mass transfer of nascent liquid film during initial condensation of argon vapor on a subcooled substrate. The method combines a non-equilibrium thermodynamics analysis with molecular dynamics simulations to provide the kinetics and evolution of the atoms. Throughout the evolution process, three different stages can be recognized by the variation of interfacial mass flux. Initially, the solid-vapor interfacial effect is dominated and the argon atoms are adsorbed as clusters and aggregate on the surface. In the transition stage, the mass flux increases and the adsorption behavior almost vanishes, a nascent liquid-like film is formed. When the times exceed a critical value of t c , the condensation process is initiated and the solid-vapor interface is replaced by the vapor-liquid interface. As a result, the mass flux keeps constant. During the adsorption process, the driven force of is theoretical determined through the cluster evolutions. With the decrease of cooling temperature, the mass flux is enlarged and the time for the transition becomes earlier. The mass flux determined from MD simulations coincides well with the theoretical analysis from statistical rate theory. Meanwhile, the spatial evolutions of the atoms are also traced. The atoms in the near wall region present a crystal-like structure. Compared with that in bulk vapor phase, the atoms in the liquid film have a stronger mobility. For the heat and mass transportation, the interfacial temperature jump and the thermal resistance is increased with the increase of cooling temperature. Two independent methods are adopted to obtain the heat and mass fluxes. The slop of the relationship between the heat and mass fluxes shows close agreement with the latent heat of argon, which reveals the occurrence of condensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thermocapillary convection in annular pools heated from inner cylinder is observed. • Critical Marangoni number of various flow pattern onset is determined. • Evolutions of flow patterns with Marangoni number and Prandtl number is exhibited. • Dependence of wavenumber of steady multicellular flow on the liquid depth is given. • The underlying physical mechanism of the flow pattern transition is discussed. Experimental observations on flow patterns of thermocapillary-buoyancy convection in shallow annular pools with a hot inner cylindrical wall have been carried out to understand the effect of Prandtl number on the flow pattern bifurcation. The results reveal that the flow could be weakened and the critical Marangoni number increases with the increasing aspect ratio and Prandtl number. With the increasing Marangoni number, both the transition from a stable multicellular flow to an oscillating multicellular flow and the pulsating pattern have been observed. Because the pulsating pattern is superimposed on an oscillating multicellular flow, thermocapillary convection evolves from periodic oscillatory state to quasi-periodic bifurcation state. As Prandtl number increases, both the oscillating multicellular flow and the pulsating pattern become difficult to be observed. Moreover, the pulsating pattern propagates radially from the hot inner cylindrical wall to the colder outer cylindrical wall, which is opposite to the direction of the surface-tension gradient. The underlying physical mechanism of the pulsating pattern is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both suspended graphene and graphene on Si-terminated (0 0 0 1) SiC system with the lattice parameter of 4.92 Å (strained) or 5.33 Å (unstrained) were simulated using first-principles method to investigate the substrate effect on thermal transport properties of graphene on SiC. The thermal conductance of graphene on substrate is figured out to have a dramatical reduction, with a maximum value of 42% which can only be found on the buffer graphene layer, compared to that of suspended graphene at room temperature. The results will help to accelerate application of graphene in the situation where substrate effect cannot be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene-epoxy thermal conductive adhesive was obtained using few-layer graphene sheets as additives which were fabricated by a re-expansion and exfoliation method. The experimental results show that graphene sheets can effectively enhance the thermal conductivity of epoxy matrix, with 4.01 W m −1 K −1 for the maximum filling loading of weight 10.10%, which is enhanced by more than 22 times of the pure epoxy resin, about 2.2 times higher than that of the same resin with the maximum weight 16.81% filled with graphite nanoflakes, and approximately 2.4 times higher than that of the same resin with the maximum weight 44.3% filled with the natural graphite powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The energy transfer mechanism in ethanol evaporation is revealed. • 3D oscillatory flow in deep pools is observed at low pressure ratios. • Critical pressure ratio of flow destabilization is determined at different depths. • The evolution process of the flow pattern is exhibited by numerical simulation. • Variation of temperature discontinuity across the liquid–vapor interface is given. For the purpose of revealing the energy-transfer process during ethanol evaporation under low pressure environment, experimental measurement and numerical simulation are adopted for ethanol evaporation at different liquid depths and external radial temperature differences in annular pools. The results show that two thermocapillary vortexes appear below the liquid–vapor interface. Most of the latent heat of vaporization is from the liquid phase, but little from the gas phase. With the increase of liquid layer depth, the steady axisymmetric flow will transform into three-dimensional time-dependent convection. The mechanism of flow instability should be attributed to the variation lag of velocity behind the variation of flow resistance. The critical vapor pressure of flow destabilization depends on radial temperature difference and liquid layer depth. Furthermore, the magnitude of temperature discontinuity across the liquid–vapor interface is the largest near the hot inner cylinder. With the increase of the liquid layer depth, the temperature discontinuity decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the effects of the flow in liquid phase and the temperature jump at liquid-vapor interface on the energy transport mechanism during evaporation process, a mathematical model describing the coupling of mass, momentum, and energy transfers with the interface evaporation is established. A series of numerical simulations are performed on the water evaporation in the funnel at low pressures ranging from 160 Pa to 776.1 Pa. Based on the simulation results, the flow pattern and temperature field are determined to analyze the formation reason of uniform temperature layer. Besides, the energy transfer mechanism in the evaporation process is revealed. The results show that the strong mixing action of the thermocapillary convection and the vertical flow results in the formation of uniform temperature layer. Evaporation mass flux and average temperature of the interface are closely related to the temperature jump. Liquid phase supplies almost all the energy demanded for the evaporation. The effect of buoyancy convection on heat transport should be considered at low pressure. Thermocapillary convection is a significant factor of the energy transport in the uniform temperature layer, and it cooperates with thermal conduction to provide energy to maintain the evaporation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Evaporation characteristics of ethanol are studied by experiment and simulation. • 3D oscillatory flow in liquid phase is observed at the ethanol depth more than 7 mm. • The petal-like pattern below the evaporation interface is examined. • The flow destabilization mechanism in the deep pool are revealed. • The influence factors of the interface temperature discontinuity are summarized. In order to understand the energy transfer process and non-equilibrium effect during ethanol evaporation in its own pure vapor at low pressures, a series of the experimental measurements and numerical simulations are conducted in an annular pool at different liquid layer depths. The results show that the interface temperature of vapor side is higher than that of liquid side when ethanol evaporates in its own pure vapor at low pressures, and the magnitude of interface temperature discontinuity decreases with the increase of liquid layer depth. There are two vortexes below the evaporation interface because of the large radial temperature gradients on the free surface near the cylinders and the buoyancy effect. With the increase of the liquid layer depth, the flow is enhanced and the average evaporation rate increases. In this case, the flow destabilizes from steady state to three-dimensional oscillatory state due to the lag between the variations of velocity and flow resistance, and the petal-like pattern can be clearly observed below the liquid-vapor interface. The evaporation flux near the inner and outer cylinders is much larger than that in the middle region; most of the latent heat required for evaporation is transferred to the interface near the cylinders by thermal convection and the conduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruthenium(II/III) coordination compounds have gained widespread attention as chemotherapy drugs, photosensitizers, and photodynamic therapy reagents. Herein, a family of 11 novel coumarin-coordinated 8-hydroxyquinoline ruthenium(II/III) compounds, i.e., [RuII 2 (μ 2 -Cl) 2 (QL1a) 2 (DMSO) 4 ] (YNU-4a = Yulin Normal University-4a), [RuII 2 (μ 2 -Cl) 2 (QL1b) 2 (DMSO) 4 ] (YNU-4b), [RuII 2 (μ 2 -Cl) 2 (QL1c) 2 (DMSO) 4 ] (YNU-4c), [RuII 2 (μ 2 -Cl) 2 (QL1d) 2 (DMSO) 4 ]⋅2CH 3 OH (YNU-4d), [RuII(QL1e) 2 (DMSO) 2 ] (YNU-4e), [RuIII(QL1e) 2 (QL3a)] (YNU-4f), [RuIII(QL1e) 2 (QL3b)] (YNU-4g), [RuIII(QL1e) 2 (QL3c)] (YNU-4h), [RuIICl 2 (H-QL3a) 2 (DMSO) 2 ] (YNU-4i), [RuIICl 2 (H-QL3b) 2 (DMSO) 2 ] (YNU-4j), and [RuIICl 2 (H-QL3c) 2 (DMSO) 2 ] (YNU-4k), featuring the coligands 5,7-diiodo-8-hydroxyquinoline (H-QL1a), 5,7-dichloro-8-quinolinol (H-QL1b), 5-chloro-7-iodo-8-hydroxyquinolin (H-QL1c), 5,7-dibromo-8-hydroxyquinoline (H-QL1d), and 5,7-dichloro-8-hydroxy-2-methylquinoline (H-QL1e) and the main ligands 6,7-dichloro-3-pyridin-2-yl-chromen-2-one (H-QL3a), 6-bromo-3-pyridin-2-yl-chromen-2-one (H-QL3b), and 6-chloro-3-pyridin-2-yl-chromen-2-one (H-QL3c), respectively. The structure of compounds YNU-4a – YNU-4k was fully confirmed by conducting various spectroscopic analyses. The anticancer activity of YNU-4a – YNU-4k was evaluated in cisplatin-resistant A549/DDP lung cancer cells (LC549) versus normal embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells. Notably, compound YNU-4f bearing QL1e and QL3a ligands showed a more pronounced antiproliferative effect against LC549 cells (IC 50 = 1.75 ± 0.09 μM) with high intrinsic selectivity toward LC549 cancer cells than YNU-4a – YNU-4e , H-QL1a–H-QL1e, cisplatin (PDD), YNU-4g – YNU-4k , and H-QL3a–H-QL3c. Additionally, a colocalization assay analysis of YNU-4e and YNU-4f showed that these two ruthenium(II/III) compounds were subcellularly accumulated in the mitochondria and other regions of the cytoplasm, where they induce mitophagy, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) reduction, mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I/IV(RC1/RC4) inhibition, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Accordingly, compounds YNU-4a – YNU-4k can be regarded as mitophagy inductors for the eradication of cisplatin-resistant LC549 cancer cells. Novel coumarin-coordinated 8-hydroxyquinoline ruthenium(II/III) compounds YNU-4a – YNU-4k induced cisplatin-resistant A549/DDP lung cancer cell death via mitophagy pathway. [Display omitted] • New coumarin-coordinated 8-hydroxyquinoline ruthenium(II/III) complexes are described. • The complexes exhibit strong antiproliferative activity against LC549 cancer cells. • Their accumulation in the mitochondria or cytoplasm induces mitochondria damage. • LC549 cell apoptosis occurs via intrinsic mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis pathway. • The complexes act as mitophagy inductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thermal convection in annular pools with a heated central column is observed. • The effects of heating mode and Prandtl number on the flow patterns are analyzed. • Evolution of 3D flow patterns with the temperature difference is revealed. • Critical temperature difference depends on the heating mode and Prandtl number. • The wavenumber of 3D flow pattern decreases with the increase the liquid pool depth. A series of terrestrial experiments on thermocapillary-buoyancy convection of medium Prandtl number liquids (Pr = 6.7-25.2) were performed in annular pools with different depths and a heated inner cylinder. The temperature fluctuation pattern on the free surface was recorded by the schlieren method. Experimental results indicate that thermocapillary-buoyancy convection could weaken and the critical Marangoni number of the flow transition increases with the Prandtl number. When the flow destabilizes, the rotating petal-like structure and the spoke pattern appear respectively in the annular pools with the depths of 4-5 mm and 6-8 mm. As the Marangoni number increases, the flow becomes oscillating as a result of the thermal perturbation induced by the thermocapillary effects. Besides, with the increasing liquid pool depth, the strengthened buoyancy force has an impact on the basic flow and the thermal fields. Thus, the temperature fluctuation frequency of the oscillating petal-like structure is more than that of the oscillating spoke pattern. Different from the cylindrical geometry heated from the outer cylinder, the radial waves and the petals appear respectively near the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder. Furthermore, the wavenumber decreases as the liquid pool depth increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Develop reinforcement learning enhanced agent-based modeling & simulation framework. • Integrate simulation environment with proximal policy optimization algorithm. • Build feed-forward critic and actor neural networks to seek the optimal pricing strategy. • Tackle spatial-temporal pricing problem for a ride-sourcing platform. • Explore the performance of different pricing strategies on a real urban network. Ever since the emergence of ride-sourcing services, the spatial–temporal pricing problem has been a hot research topic in both the transportation and management fields. The difficulty lies in simultaneously obtaining the optimal multivariable solution for spatial pricing and sequential solution for dynamic pricing, considering the heterogeneity, dynamics, and imbalance of on-demand ride supply/demand. Due to this problem's complexity, most studies have simplified the modeling setting and omitted the complicated matching and waiting process between drivers and passengers. To go beyond the existing models, this paper proposes a reinforcement learning enhanced agent-based modeling and simulation (RL-ABMS) system to reveal the complex mechanism in the ride-sourcing system and tackle the problem of spatial–temporal pricing for a ride-sourcing platform. The reinforcement learning approach proximal policy optimization (PPO) is implemented in the RL-ABMS system, where two feed-forward neural networks are built as critic and actor. The critic judges the goodness of the current state, and the actor generates the optimal pricing strategy. Compared with the fixed pricing strategy, the experimental results on a real-world urban network show that dynamic pricing raises the platform's profit to 1.25 times, and spatial–temporal pricing even raises it to 1.85 times. Besides, the number of idle drivers/vehicles has significantly dropped under the spatial–temporal pricing strategy, which indicates that our proposed strategy has a remarkable effect on coordinating supply and demand in the ride-sourcing market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has an insidious onset and high malignancy. Most patients have progressed to intermediate and advanced stages by the time of diagnosis, and the long-term efficacy of traditional treatments is not satisfactory. Immunotherapy has shown great promise in the treatment of HCC in recent years; however, the low immunogenicity and severe immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment result in a low response rate to immunotherapy in HCC patients. Therefore, it is of great significance to improve the immunogenicity of HCC and thus enhance its sensitivity to immunotherapy. Here, we prepared the boronophenylalanine-modified dual drug-loaded polydopamine nanoparticles by a facile method. This system used boronophenylalanine-modified polydopamine nanoparticles as a delivery vehicle and photothermal material for the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin and the immune agonist CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN), with both active targeting and lysosomal escape functions. The cancer cells are rapidly killed by photothermal treatment, and then chemotherapy is used to further kill cancer cells that are inadequately treated by photothermal treatment. The combination of photothermal-chemotherapy synergistically induces the release of relevant antigens from tumor cells, thus initiating anti-tumor immunity; and then cooperates with CpG-ODN to trigger a powerful anti-tumor immune memory effect, potently and durably inhibiting HCC recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Measurement of temperature profile near the evaporating interface is conducted. • There are two thermocapillary flow patterns depending on the vapor pressure ratio. • There is always a uniform temperature layer below the liquid–vapor interface. • Energy required for evaporation is transferred by thermocapillary convection. • Uniform temperature layer thickness is related to pressure ratio and flow pattern. • The maximum temperature jump appears near the outer cylinder of annular pool. In order to understand the energy transfer mechanism and the coupling relationship between the interface evaporation and thermocapillary convection at low vapor pressures, a series of precise temperature measurements were conducted in a water-filled annular pool with radial temperature gradient. The initial depth of water in the annular pool is 10 mm and the temperature difference between the inner and outer cylinders ranges from 3 ℃ to 8 ℃. The result shows that thermocapillary convection occurs in the liquid pool during the evaporation process. Two flow patterns of thermocapillary convection are presented depending on the vapor pressure ratio. There is always a uniform temperature layer below the liquid–vapor interface, where the energy required for evaporation is transferred by thermocapillary convection from the cylinders to the evaporation interface. The thickness of the uniform temperature layer is related to the pressure ratio and the flow pattern of thermocapillary convection. Furthermore, there is an obvious interface temperature jump during the evaporation process at low pressures. The temperature of vapor side is always higher than that of liquid side. The maximum temperature jump appears near the outer cylinder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]