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In this work, the authors study some convergence results including weak law of large numbers, strong law of large numbers, complete convergence, and complete moment convergence for weighted sums of coordinatewise asymptotically negatively associated random vectors in Hilbert spaces. These results improve or extend some corresponding ones in the literature.

In present paper, structures and properties of degradation products of polystyrene (PS) waste were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and thus the degradation conditions including temperature, time, and assistant type and dosage were investigated and optimized. It is suitable to use 1.0 wt% K2S2O8 as an assistant to degrade PS waste at 300°C for 24 h. Subsequently by sulfonation and neutralization reactions, the degraded PS was prepared into sodium polystyrene sulfonate (PSS), a common dispersant for coal‒water slurry (CWS). The performance of PSS with different molecular weights and sulfonation degrees was studied. Experimental results showed that the PSS with the sulfonation degree of more than 75%, prepared from the degraded PS having number average molecular weight (Mn) of about 9000, was appropriate for dispersion and stabilization of CWS suspensions. Additionally, compared with commercial dispersant NSF, the obtained PSS had a better performance for CWS. CWSs prepared with dispersant PSS exhibited pseudo-plastic or shear-thinning rheological behaviors. Combined with coal‒water slurry technology, a new approach is provided for resource utilization of PS waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) rubber was used as a modifier for bisphenol A dicyanate ester (BADCy) to improve its toughness. The effect of catalyst on the curing behavior of the resin and the curing techniques were developed by differential scanning calorimetry. The dynamic mechanical analysis, ther-mogravimetry analysis, and tensile test were used to study the thermal behavior, mechanical properties, and dynamic mechanical performance of the modified BADCy resins. Results show that addition of HTPB resulted in improved toughness while maintaining relatively good thermal stability. Additional, phase separation phenomenon was confirmed by the analysis of scanning electron microscope. For the toughening of the resin, the main toughening mechanism is shear yielding and crack branching. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 51:1404-1408, 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers, INTRODUCTION Cyanate esters (CEs) have become an increasingly important class of matrix resins since its development in the early 1970s and have attracted widespread attention for its high performance in [...]

Composites of EPDM/TiO2 in which TiO2 particles were surface modified with γ‐methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (MPS) and preultrasonically dispersed, and EPDM was grafted with maleic anhydride (MA) were successfully prepared. FTIR analysis showed that the modification of TiO2 and the grafting of EPDM had taken place. The uniform dispersion of TiO2 particles in EPDM matrix as well as good interfacial compatibility was observed from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The tensile strength and elongation at break were greatly improved and reached the maximum as the content of TiO2 in the composite reached 7.5% wt. The result of swell and solution test indicated that the composites were evidently crosslinked. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that the decomposition temperature of the composite was increased about 20°C. This work provides a potential way for crosslinking EPDM matrix with inorganic filler in a convenient method. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common and fatal malignancies among women worldwide. Circadian rhythms have emerged in recent studies as being involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. In this paper, we reviewed the molecular mechanisms by which the dysregulation of the circadian genes impacts the development of BC, focusing on the critical clock genes, brain and muscle ARNT-like protein 1 (BMAL1) and circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK). We discussed how the circadian rhythm disruption (CRD) changes the tumor microenvironment (TME), immune responses, inflammation, and angiogenesis. The CRD compromises immune surveillance and features and activities of immune effectors, including CD8+ T cells and tumor-associated macrophages, that are important in an effective anti-tumor response. Meanwhile, in this review, we discuss bidirectional interactions: age and circadian rhythms, aging further increases the risk of breast cancer through reduced vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), affecting suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) synchronization, reduced ability to repair damaged DNA, and weakened immunity. These complex interplays open new avenues toward targeted therapies by the combination of clock drugs with chronotherapy to potentiate the immune response while reducing tumor progression for better breast cancer outcomes. This review tries to cover the broad area of emerging knowledge on the tumor-immune nexus affected by the circadian rhythm in breast cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yan, Su, Huang, He, Lu, Luo, Xu, Yang, Huang and Chi.)