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AbstractConsidering the differences between individuals, in this paper, an uncertainty analysis model for predicting rupture risk of atherosclerotic arteries is established based on a back-propagation artificial neural network. The influence of isotropy and anisotropy on the rupture risk of atherosclerotic arteries is analyzed, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the artificial neural network in predicting the rupture risk. Moreover, the rupture risk of atherosclerotic arteries at different inflation sizes are simulated. This study contributes to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of atherosclerotic arteries rupture and promotes the advancement of artificial neural networks in atherosclerosis research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuxin Basin is a continental faulted lacustrine basin in northeast China with significant shale gas resources. The shale reservoir mainly developed in the sedimentary environment of the deep and semi-deep lake, swamp, and the interdistributary bay. Deep and semi-deep lake shale has considerable thickness, high clay content, dominant type II1 kerogen, and more pyrite framboid pores; swamp shale has the highest TOC content, type III kerogen, high clay content, and more organic pores; interdistributary bay shale shows high brittle mineral contents, type II2 kerogen, and more intergranular pores. The methane adsorption capacity is highest in swamp shale, followed by the deep and semi-deep lake and interdistributary bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor for l -cysteine was fabricated using in situ plasmonic silver nanoparticles modified hierarchically structured zinc oxide. The fabricated PEC sensor was based on Ag–S coordination chemistry and the collective oscillatory motion of electrons resulting from the coherent excitation of the “free” electrons in the conduction band of silver nanoparticles. The energetic electrons from the surface plasmon of the silver nanoparticles may be injected into the conduction band of the hierarchically structured zinc oxide and then fast transferred to the ITO electrode. However, the enhanced photocurrent produced by the plasmonic silver nanoparticles can be efficiently inhibited due to the bonding of Ag–S upon the simulated sunlight irradiation and at the bias voltage of 0.2 V. Under the optimized condition, the fabricated PEC sensor was linear with the concentration of l -cysteine in the range from 0.67 to 34.77 pmol L −1 with the detection limit of 0.21 pmol L −1 . The presence of definite concentration of conventional species did not interfere in the detection of l -cysteine and the results agreed well with those obtained by HPLC. This novel plasmonic PEC sensor has good performances in high sensitivity, good selectivity, easy operation, economy, short detection time, and portability. The strategy of localized surface plasmon resonance by in situ generation of silver nanoparticles provides an alternative way to construct a PEC sensor of l -cysteine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft biological tissues, such as arterial tissue, have the ability to grow and remodel in response to damage. Computational method plays a critical role in understanding the underlying mechanisms of tissue damage and healing. However, the existing healing model often requires huge computation time and it is inconvenient to implement finite element simulation. In this paper, we propose a computationally efficient gradient-enhanced healing model that combines the advantages of the gradient-enhanced damage model, the homeostatic-driven turnover remodeling model, and the damage-induced growth model. In the proposed model, the evolution of healing-related parameters can be solved explicitly. Additionally, an adaptive time increment method is used to further reduce computation time. The proposed model can be easily implemented in Abaqus, requiring only a user subroutine UMAT. The effectiveness of proposed model is verified through a semi-analytical example, and the influence of the variables in the proposed model is investigated using uniaxial tension and open-hole plate tests. Finally, the long-term development of aneurysms is simulated to demonstrate the potential applications of the proposed model in real biomechanical problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shale gas, as an important unconventional resource, has drawn global attention. It is mainly composed of adsorption gas and free gas. Adsorption gas content could play an important guiding role on both the selection of favorable perspective area and the exploration and exploitation of shale gas resources. In order to accurately measure adsorption gas content, a new approach was established to predict the adsorption isotherm of methane on shale. Based on the simplified local-density (SLD) method, both the adsorption isotherms of illite, illite/smectite mixed-layer, cholorite and type III kerogen and the total shale rock could be well fitted. The fitting results show good coincidences with the true experimental test data, which proves the method is reasonable and dependable and the prediction results are effective and credible. In addition, the good simulation results show that the SLD parameters can reflect the pore structure characteristics and corresponding adsorption characteristics of the shale samples, which can be used for the quantitative characterization of shale pore system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel non-enzymatic and oxygen-sensitive photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor for glucose was first constructed based on dual-functional cubic cuprous oxide. Herein, cuprous oxide acts both as an excellent catalyst for the preoxidation of glucose and as a photocathode for the PEC non-enzymatic glucose sensing. The fabricated cuprous oxide was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, and UV–vis spectrophotometry. Under the optimized conditions, the PEC sensing was linear in its response to the logarithm of concentration of glucose in the range of 0.0005 to 6 mmol L −1 with a detection limit of 0.3 μmol L −1 . The same concentration of other common species did not interfere with the detection of glucose, and the results of the PEC sensor corresponded well with those obtained by the commercially available enzymatic glucose sensor. This novel non-enzymatic and oxygen-sensitive PEC sensor exhibited good performance with its high sensitivity, good selectivity, wide linear range, low cost, and portable features. Also it provides an alternative way for improving non-enzymatic PEC sensor of glucose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Great progress has been made in the exploration of tight sandstone gas resources in Kuqa depression. Great progress has been made in Dibei structural belt, which proves the previously unproven favorable area for tight sandstone gas. The physical properties, controlling factors, and characteristics of tight sandstone from the Ahe (J1a) Formation in the Dibei gas reservoir are analyzed. The results show that the tight sandstone of the J1a Formation is mainly feldspar lithic sandstone, with low porosity (average 9.1%) and low permeability (average 0.09 mD). Compaction (average compaction rate 61.9%) reduces porosity more than cementation (average cementation rate 14.3%). Secondary dissolution pores (average thin section porosity is 3.4%) dominate. The homogenization temperature has two peaks; the first peak is 85–110 °C, and the other peak is 115–140 °C, indicating that oil and gas experienced two filling stages at 12 Ma and 4.5 Ma, respectively. Eodiagenesis, A substage of mesogenetic diagenesis, and B substage of mesogenetic diagenesis happened in the area. Tight sandstone is developed in the B substage of mesogenetic diagenesis. The main controlling factors of diagenesis are: strong dissolution and structural pore increase; oil and gas charging and overpressure. The reservoir forming mode of the Dibei gas reservoir is: crude oil filling in the Late Neogene (12 Ma); reservoir densification in the late deposition of Kangcun Formation (7 Ma), mature natural gas filling in the early deposition of Kuqa Formation (4.5 Ma), and gas reservoir formed after transformation and adjustment in the deposition period of Quaternary (2 Ma). According to this model, it is predicted that the favorable area of the Dibei gas reservoir is in the southeast of the Yinan 2 well. This study provides guidance for the study of tight sandstone gas in other areas of the Kuqa Depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]