Search

A study on ultrasonic vibration-assisted electrical discharge machining (UVEDM) micro-hole, which mainly includes three key designs, was conducted to improve the machining performance of the electric discharge machining (EDM) micro-holes on TC4 titanium alloy. First, a mathematical model for the velocity of the flow field in the interelectrode gap was established. Consequently, the effect of the presence or absence of ultrasonic vibration on the flow velocity was analyzed. Furthermore, based on COMSOL Multiphysics, the two distributions of the flow field and the debris in the interelectrode gap were simulated and the influence of ultrasonic amplitude on them was analyzed. Finally, the study of UVEDM micro-hole machining with different ultrasonic amplitudes was conducted. The machining performance of the UVEDM micro-hole was found to increase with the increment of the ultrasonic amplitude and the optimal value of 5.22 µm, while the performance decreases when the ultrasonic amplitude goes beyond the optimal value. Compared with EDM micro-hole, the MMR is increased by 2.4 times, and the electrode loss and hole taper are reduced by 56% and 24%, respectively.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a rapid and nondestructive technique that is capable of detecting and identifying chemical or biological compounds. Sensitive SERS quantification is vital for practical applications, particularly for portable detection of biomolecules such as amino acids and nucleotides. However, few approaches can achieve sensitive and quantitative Raman detection of these most fundamental components in biology. Herein, a noble-metal-free single-atom site on a chip strategy was applied to modify single tungsten atom oxide on a lead halide perovskite, which provides sensitive SERS quantification for various analytes, including rhodamine, tyrosine and cytosine. The single-atom site on a chip can enable quantitative linear SERS responses of rhodamine (10Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.1007/s40843-022-1968-5 and is accessible for authorized users.表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)是一种快速且无损的化学和生物分子检测技术. 高灵敏且定量化的SERS检测技术对其在实际中的应用至关重要, 尤其是对生物分子如氨基酸和碱基的便携化检测. 但是鲜有技术手段能够实现对这些最基本的生物分子进行高灵敏且定量化的拉曼检测. 我们提出了一种无需贵金属的单原子位点修饰芯片策略, 用钨单原子氧化物修饰铅卤钙钛矿芯片, 实现了多种检测物的高灵敏定量化识别, 包括罗丹明、 酪氨酸和胞嘧啶. 芯片上单原子位点技术能够实现对罗丹明、 酪氨酸和胞嘧啶的线性检测, 相应的定量化区间分别为: 10

Fluid inclusion analysis and testing were conducted to clarify the relationship between reservoir densification and hydrocarbon accumulation in the Paleogene Pinghu and Huagang formations in the Xihu Depression. The hydrocarbon accumulation stages of the reservoirs were studied in combination with the reconstruction results of burial and thermal evolution histories. Furthermore, the relationship between reservoir densification and accumulation charging was clarified in combination with the pore evolutionary history. In accordance with the time relation between reservoir densification and hydrocarbon charging, the reservoirs were classified into three types: pre-charging, syn-charging, and after-charging densification. Results indicated that large-scale hydrocarbon charging occurred in 11–0Myr. Reservoir densification was mainly caused by strong mechanical compaction and pore filling by well-developed siliceous and carbonate cements. Entering the middle diagenetic stage A1, the reservoir was under an acidic-diagenetic environment, resulting in the development of secondary dissolution pores. If large-scale hydrocarbon charging occurred during this period, then an after-charging densification reservoir, which is the most suitable type for hydrocarbon accumulation, might have developed. Entering the middle diagenetic stage A2, the reservoir was under an acidic-alkaline transitional diagenetic environment. During this stage, dissolution became weak, and compaction and cementation were enhanced, resulting in the continuous loss of pore space and reservoir densification. Entering the middle diagenetic period B, the reservoir was under an alkaline-diagenetic environment, and the reservoir had been largely densified. If large-scale hydrocarbon charging occurred during this period, a pre-charging densified reservoir, which is the worst reservoir type for hydrocarbon accumulation, might have developed.

Climate- and weather-related disasters have become increasingly frequent and costly, resulting in substantial government spending on disaster assistance. Yet less is known about the effectiveness of disaster aid in enhancing community resilience to future disaster risks. This study examines multiple post-disaster aid programs implemented by the US federal government to support state and local governments as well as households and private businesses. Specifically, we estimate the risk-mitigating effects of these disaster-related programs by linking program spending with reported economic losses from flooding. Our empirical analysis utilizing panel data at the county level finds that low-interest disaster loans lead to the largest reduction in subsequent flooding damage, and grants targeting public infrastructure restoration and flood control measures also reduce future flooding losses. Results suggest a limited loss-mitigating effect of disaster cash aid given to private individuals. These findings provide important implications for federal disaster policy design and suggest that more efficiency gains could be realized by redistributing funds and streamlining processes across programs and agencies.

Zhengzhou is one of the most heavily polluted cities in China. This study collected samples of PM2.5 (atmospheric fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) at five sites in different functional areas of Zhengzhou in 2016 to investigate the chemical properties and sources of PM2.5 at three pollution levels, i.e., PM2.5 ≤ 75 μg/m3 (non-pollution, NP), 75 μg/m3 150 μg/m3 (heavy pollution, HP). Chemical analysis was conducted, and source categories and potential source region were identified for PM2.5 at different pollution levels. The health risks of toxic elements were evaluated. Results showed that the average PM2.5 concentration in Zhengzhou was 119 μg/m3, and the sum of the concentrations of SO42−, NO3−, and NH4+ increased with the aggravation of pollution level (23, 42, and 114 μg/m3 at NP, MP, and HP days, respectively). Positive Matrix Factorization analysis indicated that secondary aerosols, coal combustion, vehicle traffic, industrial processes, biomass burning, and dust were the main sources of PM2.5 at three pollution levels, and accounted for 38.4%, 21.6%, 16.7%, 7.4%, 7.7%, and 8.1% on HP days, respectively. Trajectory clustering analysis showed that close-range transport was one of the dominant factors on HP days in Zhengzhou. The potential source areas were mainly located in Xinxiang, Kaifeng, Xuchang, and Pingdingshan. Significant risks existed in the non-carcinogenic risk of As (1.4–2.3) for children at three pollution levels and the non-carcinogenic risk of Pb (1.0–1.4) for children with NP and MP days.

In recent years, the ecological environment along highways in Tibetan Plateau has been severely affected due to the rapid construction of highways. In order to solve the problems of multiple indicators and inconsistent criteria in the ecological impact assessment of highways, and to scientifically screen assessment indicators, the paper proposes a multi-round indicator screening method, which combines literature analysis, expert rating, and statistical analysis. Based on this screening method, normalized difference vegetation index, land surface temperature, elevation, and normalized difference soil index are screened out. Combined with multiple linear regression, an ecological impact assessment model is established and applied to ecological impact assessment of Gonghe-Yushu Expressway. The results show that the expressway construction is the first driving force for the deterioration of the ecological environment along the roadside, and its interference range on the desert grassland ecosystem is greater than that on the agroforestry system. The ecological environment within 150 m on both sides of the expressway should be protected.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationships between ethical leadership, affective commitment, work engagement, and employees’ creativity. Data were obtained from 233 Chinese public sector employees in three separate waves. By using structural equation modeling, we found positive and significant association between ethical leadership and employee creativity. Additionally, we found evidence of parallel mediation, where affective commitment and work engagement mediate the relationship between ethical leadership and employee creativity. To be precise, we found that ethical leadership influences affective commitment and work engagement which subsequently induces followers to exhibit creativity in their work. The findings of this study reveal that both affective commitment and work engagement play a pivotal role through which ethical leaders can enhance their followers’ creative behaviors.

In this study, the machined surface quality of powder metallurgy nickel-based superalloy FGH96 (similar to Rene88DT) and the grinding characteristics of brown alumina (BA) and microcrystalline alumina (MA) abrasive wheels were comparatively analyzed during creep feed grinding. The influences of the grinding parameters (abrasive wheel speed, workpiece infeed speed, and depth of cut) on the grinding force, grinding temperature, surface roughness, surface morphology, tool wear, and grinding ratio were analyzed comprehensively. The experimental results showed that there was no significant difference in terms of the machined surface quality and grinding characteristics of FGH96 during grinding with the two types of abrasive wheels. This was mainly because the grinding advantages of the MA wheel were weakened for the difficult-to-cut FGH96 material. Moreover, both the BA and MA abrasive wheels exhibited severe tool wear in the form of wheel clogging and workpiece material adhesion. Finally, an analytical model for prediction of the grinding ratio was established by combining the tool wear volume, grinding force, and grinding length. The acceptable errors between the predicted and experimental grinding ratios (ranging from 0.6 to 1.8) were 7.56% and 6.31% for the BA and MA abrasive wheels, respectively. This model can be used to evaluate quantitatively the grinding performance of an alumina abrasive wheel, and is therefore helpful for optimizing the grinding parameters in the creep feed grinding process.

We fabricated a van der Waals heterostructure of WS2–ReSe2 and studied its charge-transfer properties. Monolayers of WS2 and ReSe2 were obtained by mechanical exfoliation and chemical vapor deposition, respectively. The heterostructure sample was fabricated by transferring the WS2 monolayer on top of ReSe2 by a dry transfer process. Photoluminescence quenching was observed in the heterostructure, indicating efficient interlayer charge transfer. Transient absorption measurements show that holes can efficiently transfer from WS2 to ReSe2 on an ultrafast timescale. Meanwhile, electron transfer from ReSe2 to WS2 was also observed. The charge-transfer properties show that monolayers of ReSe2 and WS2 form a type-II band alignment, instead of type-I as predicted by theory. The type-II alignment is further confirmed by the observation of extended photocarrier lifetimes in the heterostructure. These results provide useful information for developing van der Waals heterostructure involving ReSe2 for novel electronic and optoelectronic applications and introduce ReSe2 to the family of two-dimensional materials to construct van der Waals heterostructures.

Mycobacterium kansasii can cause serious pulmonary disease. It belongs to a group of closely-related species of non-tuberculous mycobacteria known as the M. kansasii complex (MKC). Here, we report a population genomics analysis of 358 MKC isolates from worldwide water and clinical sources. We find that recombination, likely mediated by distributive conjugative transfer, has contributed to speciation and on-going diversification of the MKC. Our analyses support municipal water as a main source of MKC infections. Furthermore, nearly 80% of the MKC infections are due to closely-related M. kansasii strains, forming a main cluster that apparently originated in the 1900s and subsequently expanded globally. Bioinformatic analyses indicate that several genes involved in metabolism (e.g., maintenance of the methylcitrate cycle), ESX-I secretion, metal ion homeostasis and cell surface remodelling may have contributed to M. kansasii’s success and its ongoing adaptation to the human host., Mycobacterium kansasii can cause serious pulmonary disease. Here, the authors present a population genomics analysis of 358 environmental and clinical isolates from around the world, supporting the idea that municipal water is a main source of infection, and shedding light into the pathogen’s diversity and adaptation to the human host.

Microalloying is an effective approach to improve the mechanical properties of γ-TiAl intermetallic compound. Knowledge about the site occupancy of the ternary alloying element in the crystal lattice of γ-TiAl is highly demanded in order to understand the physics underlying the alloying effect. Previous first-principle methods-based thermodynamic models for the determination of the site occupancy were based on the point defect gas approximation with the interaction between the point defects neglected. In the present work, we include the point defect interaction energy in the thermodynamic model, which allows us to predict the site occupancy of the ternary alloying element in γ-TiAl beyond the point defect gas approximation. The model is applied to the γ-TiAl–Nb alloy. We show that, at low temperature, the site occupancy of Nb atoms depends on the composition of the alloy: Nb atoms occupy the Al sublattice for the Ti-rich alloy but occupy Ti sublattice for the Al-rich alloy. The fraction of Nb atoms occupying Al sublattice in the Ti-rich alloy decreases drastically, whereas the fraction of Nb atoms on the Ti sublattice in the Al-rich alloy decreases slightly with increasing temperature. At high temperature, Nb atoms occupy dominantly the Ti sublattice for both the Ti-rich and Al-rich alloys. The interaction between the point defects makes the Ti sublattice more favorable for the Nb atoms to occupy.

A novel and efficient annulation of pentane-2,4-dione with 2-(2-bromophenyl)quinazolin-4(3H)-one was disclosed in DMF catalyzed by CuI/l-proline in the presence of Cs2CO3. This procedure experienced the consecutive α-arylation of carbonyl, deacylation but no dehydration reaction for the synthesis of 6-hydroxy-6-methyl-5,6-dihydro-8H-isoquinolino[1,2-b]quinazolin-8-ones in good yields.

Employing atomic-scale simulations, the response of a high-angle grain boundary (GB), the soft/hard GB, against external loading was systematically investigated. Under tensile loading close to the hard orientation, strain-induced dynamic recrystallization was observed to initiate through direct soft-to-hard grain reorientation, which was triggered by stress mismatch, inhibited by surface tension from the soft-hard GB, and proceeded by interface ledges. Such grain reorientation corresponds with expansion and contraction of the hard grain along and perpendicular to the loading direction, respectively, accompanied by local atomic shuffling, providing relatively large normal strain of 8.3% with activation energy of 0.04 eV per atom. Tensile strain and residual dislocations on the hard/soft GB facilitate the initiation of dynamic recrystallization by lowering the energy barrier and the critical stress for grain reorientation, respectively.

Malononitrile underwent α-arylation with 2-(2-bromophenyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazole to give a subsequent nucleophilic addition and dehydration products of 5-amino-2,3-diphenylimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinoline-6-carbonitriles catalyzed by CuI/l-proline. Under the same reaction conditions, this novel procedure had a good chemoselectivity in cyanacetates for the efficient synthesis of 5-aminoimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinoline-6-carboxylate derivatives in good yields.

Distance estimation is vital for localization and many other applications in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Particularly, it is desirable to implement distance estimation as well as localization without using specific hardware in low-cost WSNs. As such, both the received signal strength (RSS) based approach and the connectivity based approach have gained much attention. The RSS based approach is suitable for estimating short distances, whereas the connectivity based approach obtains relatively good performance for estimating long distances. Considering the complementary features of these two approaches, we propose a fusion method based on the maximum-likelihood estimator (MLE) to estimate the distance between any pair of neighboring nodes in a WSN through efficiently fusing the information from the RSS and local connectivity. Additionally, the method is reported under the practical log-normal shadowing model, and the associated Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is also derived for performance analysis. Both simulations and experiments based on practical measurements are carried out, and demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms any single approach and approaches to the CRLB as well.

For the high-dimensional Frenkel–Kontorova model on lattices, we have concluded that there are heteroclinic connections between neighboring Birkhoff minimizers which are more periodic. This conclusion is based on the existence of neighboring elements, i.e., the existence of gaps. By adding a large enough oscillation to the local potential, I prove that all minimal foliations can be destroyed into minimal laminations, and hence there always exist gaps.

BackgroundEarly alarm of hypoglycemia, detection of asymptomatic hypoglycemia, and effective control of blood glucose fluctuation make a great contribution to diabetic treatment. In this study, we designed a multi-level hypoglycemia early alarm system to mine potential information in Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) time series and improve the overall alarm performance for different clinical situations.MethodsThrough symbolizing the historical CGM records, the Prefix Span was adopted to obtain the early alarm/non-alarm frequent sequence libraries of hypoglycemia events. The longest common subsequence was used to remove the common frequent sequence for achieving the hypoglycemia early alarm in different clinical situations. Then, the frequent sequence pattern libraries with different risk thresholds were designed as the core module of the proposed multi-level hypoglycemia early alarm system.ResultsThe model was able to predict hypoglycemia events in the clinical dataset of level-I (sensitivity 85.90%, false-positive 23.86%, miss alarm rate 14.10%, average early alarm time 20.61 min), level-II (sensitivity 80.36%, false-positive 17.37%, miss alarm rate 19.63%, average early alarm time 27.66 min), and level-III (sensitivity 78.07%, false-positive 13.59%, miss alarm rate 21.93%, average early alarm time 33.80 min), respectively.ConclusionsThe proposed approach could effectively predict hypoglycemia events based on different risk thresholds to meet different prevention and treatment requirements. Moreover, the experimental results confirm the practicality and prospects of the proposed early alarm system, which reflects further significance in personalized medicine for hypoglycemia prevention.

Drawing on social exchange theory, the present study seeks to understand how ethical leaders channel followers’ responses to positive treatment from the organization into a dutiful mindset, resulting in in-role and extra-role performance. Specifically, it examines the influence of perceived organizational support on both followers’ job performance and organizational citizenship behaviors, and the mediating effects of duty orientation on such relationships. In addition, it examines whether the mediated effects are contingent on the ethical leadership exhibited by the team leader. Based on multi-source, multi-level data obtained from 233 employees in 60 teams from the Chinese public sector, we found that ethical leadership moderated the mediated relationship between perceived organizational support and follower work behaviors through duty orientation, such that this relationship was stronger in the presence of higher ethical leadership.

Previous studies showed that, in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients with isolated 13q deletion (13q-), those carrying higher percentage of leukemic cells with 13q- had more aggressive diseases. However, the prognostic value of the percentage of leukemic cells with 13q- in Chinese CLL patients with isolated 13q- remained to be determined. Using interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), we identified 82 patients (25.4%) with isolated 13q deletion from a cohort of 323 untreated CLL patients. Among patients with isolated 13q deletion, cases of 13q- cells ≥ 80% (13q-H) had significantly shorter time to first treatment (TTT) than those of

The Fisher linear discriminant analysis (FLDA)-based method is a common method for jointly optimizing the intraclass separation and the interclass separation of the projected feature vectors by defining the objective function as the ratio of the intraclass separation over the interclass separation. To address the eigenproblem of the FLDA, a quadratic equality constraint is imposed on the square of the $$l_{2}$$ norm of the decision vector. However, the constrained optimization problem is highly nonconvex. This paper proposes to reformulate the objective function as a weighted sum of the intraclass separation and the interclass separation subject to the same quadratic equality constraint on the square of the $$l_{2}$$ norm of the decision vector. Although both the objective function and the feasible set of the optimization problem are still nonconvex, this paper shows that the global minimum of the objective functional value is equal to the minimum singular value of the Hessian matrix of the objective function. Also, the globally optimal solution of the optimization problem is in the null space of the Hessian matrix minus this singular value multiplied by the identity matrix. As it is only required to find the singular value of the Hessian matrix, no numerical optimization-based computer aided design tool is required to find the globally optimal solution. Therefore, the globally optimal solution can be found in real time. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method.

In order to improve the performance of metal-bonded grinding wheels, the graphite particles with several different contents (i.e., 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt%) were added to Cu-Sn-Ti alloy powders as the bonding materials. The influence of graphite addition on bonding properties of the abrasive layer was investigated. Firstly, microstructural examination results show that the joining between graphite and Cu-Sn-Ti alloy was achieved and provided a weak bonding strength compared to the pure Cu-Sn-Ti matrix. Secondly, the transgranular fracture and intergranular fracture were determined as the main fracture patterns of abrasive layer in the current investigation. Then, an optimized graphite content of 10 wt% was decided, at which the porosity of abrasive layer can reach 25% as well as the bending strength reached 125 MPa and was favorable to meet the high-speed grinding requirements. Finally, the finite element simulation results suggested that the graphite addition had little effect on the residual thermal stresses of abrasive layer.

The origins and spatial and temporal distributions of air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, CO, SO2, NO2 and O3) during May to June of 2015 were investigated using data from 1490 monitoring sites in China. Aerosol number concentrations and meteorological data from Shijiazhuang, Nanjing, and Suzhou were combined with the MIX Asian emission data and the HYSPLIT model. Furthermore, the diurnal variation, size distribution, and main sources of air pollutants and aerosols were selectively characterized in the North China Plain (NCP) and the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). High values of particulate matter concentrations (PM), including PM2.5 and PM10, occurred in the northwestern and central regions of eastern China. Elevated PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations represented natural dust sources and anthropogenic resident, power plant, industry, and traffic emissions sources, respectively. The concentrated distributions of SO2 were similar to those of PM. The CO concentrations were distributed uniformly in China. High O3 values occurred above the Qinghai province. During the observation period, the air masses mainly originated from the northwest NCP and from the southwest or northeastern ocean in the YRD, resulting in high concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and CO in the NCP, the average values of which were 61.8 ± 40.0, 118.8 ± 66.4, 24.1 ± 24.6 μg m−3, and 1.2 ± 0.9 mg m−3, respectively, and were 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, and 1.3 times larger than those in the YRD. NO2 had higher concentrations in the YRD with an average of 43.7 ± 24.8 μg m−3, which was 1.2 times larger than that in the NCP. The diurnal variations of PM, NO2 and CO had bimodal distributions and SO2 and O3 had unimodal distributions in the NCP and YRD. The aerosol number concentrations had average values of 12,661 ± 5266, 11,189 ± 5905, and 12,797 ± 5931 cm−3 in Shijiazhuang, Nanjing, and Suzhou. Their diurnal variations displayed trimodal peaks at 18:00–21:00, 11:00–14:00, and 06:00–08:00, and their spectra distributions were all unimodal with peaks at 60–70, 60–70, and 100–110 nm, respectively.

A finite element model of single-grain surface grinding of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy has been established, which takes into consideration of the actual variation of cutting depth along the grinding path. The effects of both the grinding speed and actual cutting depth on the grinding forces and stresses distribution were analyzed. Formation of the discontinuous lamellar structure chips in single-grain surface grinding was simulated. Based on the critical thickness of chip formation, a critical grinding speed, such as 60 m/s, is determined. The critical thickness of chip formation decreases with increasing the grinding speeds between 20 and 60 m/s; on the contrary, the critical thickness of chip formation increases with increasing the grinding speeds between 60 and 200 m/s. In one grinding periodic, the peak values of grinding force curves firstly increase gradually and then decrease sharply. When the uncut chip thickness is 0.7 μm, the maximum principal stress is obtained at the actual cutting depth of 0.6 μm. The largest tensile stress is always produced at grain rake face relative to the grain tip.

In wireless sensor networks, the problem of anchor (whose locations are a priori known) placement plays a vital role in improving the estimation accuracy of sensor (whose locations are unknown and need to be determined) locations. This paper deals with single-hop sensor localization from a novel perspective. On the one hand, unlike existing studies relying on ideal independent identically distributed (i.i.d.) noises in distance measurements, namely distance-independent noises, this paper defines a more realistic noise model in the sense that the noise variance is a function of sensor-to-anchor distances, namely distance-dependent noises. On the other hand, other than evaluating the localization performance for sensors at deterministic locations, a statistical approach is adopted by assuming a uniform and random distribution within a unit disk for the sensor location and evaluating the mean value of the associated Fisher information matrix determinant as the optimality metric for anchor placement. Through this metric, the optimal anchor placement is investigated from both theoretical and simulative perspectives. In the literature of optimal anchor placement with distance-independent noises, it has been addressed or conjectured to be true that it is optimal to have anchors equally spaced on the boundary. However, after a thorough analysis, it is shown that this conclusion is generally incorrect, but approaches to be true provided that the number of anchors goes to infinity. This study not only provides useful guidance for optimally deploying anchors in practice, but also yields valuable insights for future research on optimal anchor placement.

Hotel revenue management concerns allocation of limited rooms to demands from different price categories. Hotel rooms fall into groups of different amenities, each having its according prices. Sometimes, due to shortage of rooms in one category, a demand may be offered a room in a higher category but at the same lower price, called upgrading. Overbooking is also practiced because of late cancelation and no shows. Usually, upgrading is done separately from pricing optimization, which can lead to suboptimal solutions. This paper develops a deterministic linear programming (DLP) model to simultaneously consider hotel room pricing and allocation including overbooking and upgrading through a process that specifically deals with room categories. We further extend our DLP model to a stochastic one to address the uncertainties of demands. Numerical tests are carefully conducted to show the models are effective, and the system has been successfully implemented at several resort hotels.

Dynamic properties of dissolutive flow in nanochannels were investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. It turned out that the liquid flow pattern changes greatly after the dissolution effect taken into consideration. Liquid inside the channel has a plug-like velocity profile when the dissolubility is low, whereas a Poiseuille-like flow was observed as the dissolubility increases. By introducing the dissolution term to molecular kinetic theory, we explained the physical mechanisms of velocity transition. During which a modified dimensionless Galilei number was proposed to describe the effect of main forces. The results showed that in pressure-driven flow, when the dissolubility is low, the dominant dissipation is the viscous dissipation and the theoretical model of insolubility is acceptable. However, as the dissolubility increases, the dissolving dissipation takes priority, which results in the velocity profiles becoming Poiseuille-like. In addition, we analyzed the evolution of fluid density, number of dissolved solid particles and concentration distribution of solute. The liquid density varying from layered oscillation to uniform distribution was obtained, which can be described by a critical number. The analysis of solute concentration helps to establish the scaling relation among the dissolution rate, convection velocity, and diffusion coefficient. These findings not only help to understand the physical mechanisms of dissolutive flow but also help to control and optimize the flow patterns in dissoluble channels.

The formation mechanism and geometry characteristics of exit-direction burrs in surface grinding of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy have been investigated based on finite element analysis in this article. Three types of burrs, i.e., positive burrs, negative burrs, and residual burrs, are classified; meanwhile, the formation stages of different burrs are defined. The effects of three critical parameters in surface grinding (i.e., grinding speed, uncut chip thickness, and negative rake angle of CBN grains) on burr formation are discussed. Results obtained display that the burr height and root thickness increase with decreasing of grinding speed and increasing of uncut chip thickness and negative rake angle magnitude of CBN grains. A positive burr, which is in favor of being removed easily and therefore lowering the machining cost, could be generated when a parameter combination (i.e., a higher grinding speed, a smaller uncut chip thickness, and a smaller magnitude of negative rake angle of CBN grain) is utilized.

In our previous studies, it was found that there existed pharmacokinetic interactions between magnoflorine and the rest of the ingredients in Coptidis Rhizoma. In this study, the pharmacokinetic interaction mechanism of magnoflorine with the rest of the components in Coptidis Rhizoma was researched based on the intestinal absorption and metabolism characteristics.The absorption characteristics of magnoflorine in each rat intestinal segments were evaluated by non-everted intestinal sac model. To identify the metabolites of magnoflorine, the acceptor solutions of each intestinal segment at 120 min were analyzed by HPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS.The accumulative absorption (Q), the absorption rate (J) and the apparent permeability coefficient (PIt was shown that the rest of the ingredients in Coptidis Rhizoma accelerated the absorption of magnoflorine weakly and promoted the metabolism of magnoflorine in the gut. The effects of other processes in the pharmacokinetics should be further evaluated.

Background Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are a newly identified cell population with the potent capability to produce Th2-type cytokines in a non-antigen specific manner. Previous study demonstrated that enhanced circulating ILC2s in cat-allergic patient after experimental allergen challenge, whereas the effects of natural allergen exposure on peripheral ILC2s are still unclear. We therefore examined the variations in circulating ILC2s among asthmatic patients sensitized to different allergens in- and outside- pollen season. Methods 10 patients sensitized to mugwort, 10 patients sensitized to house dust mites (HDM) and 12 healthy controls were recruited into this study. Blood samples were collected from the patients in- and outside- pollens season, 2–3 months apart. ILC2s (Lin-CD127+ CRTH2+) were enumerated by flow cytometry, as well as intracellular IL-5 and IL-13 expression. The levels of IL-5 and IL-13 in supernatants of Lineage- and Lineage+ cells stimulated with IL-25 and/or IL-33 in the presence of IL-2 were measured using a Milliplex human cytokine array kit. Results An obvious seasonal increases in percentages of total and IL-13+ ILC2s were observed in patients with mugwort sensitization during natural pollen exposure, however, the percentages of peripheral ILC2s in HDM-allergic patients were not affected significantly. A positive correlation between FeNO and IL-13+ILC2s was found in patients sensitized to mugwort. A mixture of IL-33 and IL-25 induced a significant production of IL-13 and IL-5 from Lineage− cells of both mugwort-allergic and HDM-allergic asthmatics. Stimulation with IL-33 alone induced a significantly greater quantity of IL-13 by Lineage-cells from mugwort-allergic asthmatic compared with that from HDM-allergic asthmatics, whereas IL-25 induced a significantly greater amount of IL-5 by the Lineage-cells from mugwort-allergic asthmatic compared with that from HDM-allergic asthmatics. Conclusion Within pollen season the frequencies and function profiles of circulating ILC2s among asthmatic children are altered dynamically, which may be closely related to the sensitized type of allergens.

Structure damage identification and alarming of long-span bridge were conducted with three-dimensional dynamic displacement data collected by GPS subsystem of health monitoring system on Runyang Suspension Bridge. First, the effects of temperature on the main girder spatial position coordinates were analyzed from the transverse, longitudinal and vertical directions of bridge, and the correlation regression models were built between temperature and the position coordinates of main girder in the longitudinal and vertical directions; then the alarming indices of coordinate residuals were conducted, and the mean-value control chart was applied to making statistical pattern identification for abnormal changes of girder dynamic coordinates; and finally, the structural damage alarming method of main girder was established. Analysis results show that temperature has remarkable correlation with position coordinates in the longitudinal and vertical directions of bridge, and has weak correlation with the transverse coordinates. The 3% abnormal change of the longitudinal coordinates and 5% abnormal change of the vertical ones caused by structural damage are respectively identified by the mean-value control chart method based on GPS dynamic monitoring data and hence the structural abnormalities state identification and damage alarming for main girder of long-span suspension bridge can be realized in multiple directions.

Anisodamine is an ancient Chinese medicine derived from Tibet as a belladonna alkaloid, which is usually used for improvement of blood circulation in patients with organ phosphorus poisoning or shock. In this study, for the first time, we report its cardioprotective effects on preventing ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and decreasing the myocardial infarction area and severity in heart of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Our results suggest a potential molecular mechanism of anisodamine against the I/R injury in cardiomyocytes is associated with its anti-apoptotic effect. Anisodamine treatment decreases the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8, and increases Bcl-2/Bax ratio in cardiomyocytes. Our data suggest that anisodamine can provide significant cardioprotection against I/R injury, potentially through the suppression of cardiomyocytes apoptosis.

This study aims to investigate the effect of recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide (rhBNP) on renal function and contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) incidence in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and heart failure (STEMI-HF) patients with mild renal insufficiency undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 116 participants were randomized into rhBNP (rhBNP, n = 57) and nitroglycerin group (NIT, n = 59), receiving intravenous rhBNP or nitroglycerin from admission to 72 h after PCI. Renal function was assessed by serum creatinine (SCr), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), Cystatin-C (Cys-C) and β2-microglobulin before and after primary PCI, and calculated the incidence of CIN within 72 h after PCI. There were no significant differences in SCr, eGFR and β2-microglobulin between the two groups (P > 0.05, respectively). Compared with the NIT group, the total urinary volume within 72 h was higher while the level of Cys-C at 24 and 72 h after PCI was lower in the rhBNP group. rhBNP was associated with a decline in the incidence of CIN (12.28 vs. 28.81 %, P < 0.05). No differences were detected in mortality and re-hospitalization in 3 months between the two groups. The incidence of renal injury was not different between rhBNP and nitroglycerin in STEMI-HF patients with mild renal insufficiency. However, infusion of rhBNP was associated with a decline in incidence of CIN.

Entrepreneurs sometimes make unethical decisions that have devastating effects on their companies, stakeholders, and themselves. We suggest that insights into the origins of such actions can be acquired through attention to personal motives and their impact on moral disengagement—a cognitive process that deactivates moral self-regulation, thus enabling individuals to behave in ways inconsistent with their own values. We hypothesize that entrepreneurs’ motivation for financial gains is positively related to moral disengagement, while their motivation for self-realization is negatively related to this process. Results obtained with a sample of founding entrepreneurs offered support for the first prediction, as well as support for the prediction that moral disengagement is positively related to the tendency to make unethical decisions.

The success of cruise line revenue management at the company which is studied in this article depends on pricing and assignment of room capacity. Market demand is typically defined by such criteria as view requirements, bedding requirements, room locations and amenities. The essence is to price each market segment and allocate cruise room capacity at the same time in order to maximize the total revenue potential. Side constraints include capacity limits on lifeboats and personnel requirements, for example, the number of baby counselors (required by law). It is also important to follow the business rules such as those pertaining to refundable tickets. However, this article’s focus and the key priority is to develop a linear model that can facilitate demand forecasting, which not only considers pricing and room assignment, but also considers potential onboard expenses of customers. A numerical test is conducted based on production data. The results indicate that the solution obtained through this model is valid in practice and shows significant annual revenue increase compared with the previous system.

CaNb2O6:Sm3+ films were prepared on quartz glass and α-Al2O3(001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the CaNb2O6:Sm3+ films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), emission-scan electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) measurements. The results show that the structure and properties of CaNb2O6:Sm3+ films were dependent on substrates. The CaNb2O6:Sm3+ films on Al2O3(0001) substrate have better crystallinity. The full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of (131) peak are 0.45 and 0.32 for the CaNb2O6:Sm3+ film on glass and Al2O3(001), respectively. The crystallite size of CaNb2O6:Sm3+ films grown on glass and Al2O3(001) was about 8.22 and 9.98 nm, respectively. The oxidation state of the Sm element on the films was Sm3+ state. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra were measured at room temperature, the CaNb2O6:Sm3+ films on Al2O3(001) substrate have a better PL intensity, the identified emission bands were by the intra 4f transitions of Sm3+ from the excited level to the lower levels at 567 nm for 4G5/2→6H5/2 transition, at 609 nm for 4G5/2→6H7/2 transition, and at 657 nm for 4G5/2→6H9/2 transition.