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EPC (Engineering, Procedure, Construction) refers to the implementation of "procurement, construction, and design" for a certain project, which has a very similar meaning to general engineering contracting. The general contracting mode of EPC is that the construction enterprise, as the owner, contracts the construction project to the general contracting enterprise in a direct form. The engineering procurement construction project quality evaluation is looked as the multi-attribute decision-making (MADM). The triangular fuzzy neutrosophic sets (TFNSs) is more suitable for expressing uncertain information during the engineering procurement construction project quality evaluation. Grey relational analysis (GRA) method is a very active branch of grey system theory, whose basic idea is to determine whether the connections between different sequences are close based on the similarity of the geometric shapes of sequence curves. In this paper, the triangular fuzzy neutrosophic number GRA (TFNN-GRA) method is put up under triangular fuzzy neutrosophic sets (TFNSs) with completely unknown weight information. The information entropy is employed to obtain the weight values under TFNSs. Then, commenting GRA method with TFNSs, the TFNN-GRA is designed and the decision steps for MADM are constructed. Finally, a numerical example for engineering procurement construction project quality evaluation was given and some comparative analysis is employed to verify the advantages of TFNN-GRA method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study directionally coupled phase-coherent chaotic oscillators in complex networks. We introduce an adjusted Lyapunov function that incorporates the frequencies of the oscillators and the interaction structure. Using the well-known Rössler system as an example, we address two optimization problems: frequency allocation and network design. Through numerical experiments, we demonstrate that the systematic synchrony can be effectively enhanced or inhibited by minimizing or maximizing the objective function, respectively. We then delve into the relationship between the structural and dynamical properties that lead to optimal synchronization. Interestingly, we observe a positive correlation between nodal in-degrees and frequency magnitudes, indicating that nodes with higher in-degrees tend to exhibit larger frequency magnitudes. On the other hand, we also find a negative correlation between nodal frequency and adjacent in-frequencies, suggesting that nodes with higher frequencies tend to be surrounded by nodes with lower frequency values. Finally, we explore the connections between degree correlations and optimal synchronization. We find that when minimizing the objective function, the presence of degree correlations always inhibits the systematic synchrony for frequency allocation, while the act of network design causes the correlations to become negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, methionine sulfoxide (MetO) was identified as an active metabolite that suppresses adipogenesis after screening obese individuals versus the normal population. MetO suppressed the gene and protein expression of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) α, adipocyte fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), and the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) during human preadipocyte (HPA) differentiation. Adipogenesis decreased following MetO treatment; however, the preadipocyte number, proliferation, and apoptosis were unaffected. The activity of phosphorylated extracellular signal‐related kinase (P‐ERK) of the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was significantly inhibited in HPA after MetO treatment. Furthermore, treatment of preadipocytes with the selective P‐ERK1/2 agonist Ro 67‐7476 abolished the effect of MetO against adipogenesis suggesting that MetO function is dependent on the MAPK pathway. The mechanistic insights of adipogenesis suppression by MetO presented in this study shows its potential as an antiobesity drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the limitation of traditional analytical methods, the coloration mechanism of copper red glaze has been disputed in the academic field for a long time, which mainly focuses on whether the color agent is metallic copper nanoparticles or cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanoparticles. Based on Mie scattering theory, this work calculated the reflection spectra of nanoparticles uniformly dispersed in transparent glaze with different types, diameters, and volume fractions, then discussed the differences between the reflection spectra of metallic copper and cuprous oxide as scatterers, calculated the corresponding L*a*b* values, and compared them with the experimental results. This work provides a feasible and convenient method to distinguish these two coloration mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In endoscopic surgery, the surgical navigation system needs to calculate the deformation of soft tissue by biomechanical model which requires elastic properties and boundary conditions. However, patient-specific elastic parameters and boundary conditions of soft tissue are hard to measure accurately from the preoperative images, especially the boundary conditions will change during the operation due to the ligament cutting. In addition, simple boundary conditions such as fixed constraints and free-force constraints are not physically adequate to simulate the elastic effect of ligaments attached to the liver. In this paper, we present a novel method to identify the Young's modulus and equivalent spring constraint boundary conditions of a locally observed soft tissue. Based on the spring constraint boundary condition, a two-step inverse algorithm is developed based on the finite element method (FEM) with integration of energy regularized Gauss-Newton (GN) method and l 1 -regularized method, which takes external forces and displacements of observable nodes as inputs. A series of numerical simulations and physical hydrogel phantom experiments were conducted. The results of simulation and physical experiments show that the Young's modulus and equivalent spring constraint boundary conditions identified by the proposed method agree well with their setup true values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic events and transportation constraints would significantly affect the full utilization of resources and the reduction of production costs in distributed job shops. Therefore, in this paper, a deep reinforcement learning algorithm (DRL)-based real-time scheduling method is developed to minimize the mean tardiness of the dynamic distributed job shop scheduling problem with transfers (DDJSPT) considering random job arrivals. Firstly, the proposed DDJSPT is modeled as a Markov decision process (MDP). Then, ten problem-oriented state features covering four aspects of factories, machines, jobs, and operations are elaborately extracted from the dynamic distributed job shop. After that, eleven composite rules considering the uniqueness of DDJSPT are constructed as a pool of actions to intelligently prioritize unfinished jobs and allocate the selected job to an appropriate factory. Moreover, a justified reward function adapted from the objective is designed for better convergence of DRLs. Subsequently, five DRLs are employed to address the DDJSPT, encompassing deep Q-network (DQN), double DQN (DDQN), dueling DQN (DlDQN), trust region policy optimization (TRPO), and proximal policy optimization (PPO). Finally, grounded in numerical comparison experiments under 243 production configurations of the DDJSPT, the effectiveness and generalization of DRL-based scheduling methods are credibly verified and confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel spent coffee grounds biomass carbon block (SCC) with heteroatoms (P and S) doped graphene structure was firstly successfully synthesized which showed high oxygen reduction reaction activity. It represented high degradation performance and cycle stability as electrocatalytic block electrode for degradation of Favipiravir,. [Display omitted] • Heteroatoms P and S doped biomass carbon block with graphene structure was firstly prepared. • The biomass carbon block acts as electrocatalytic electrode with oxygen reduction reaction activity. • The biomass carbon block electrode represents high performance and cycle stability for degradation of Favipiravir. • The biomass carbon electrocatalytic system has realized the recycle and utilization of biomass resources. In this study, a biomass-derived carbon block with heteroatoms (P and S) self-doped graphene structure was successfully synthesized by spent coffee grounds (SCG) directly sintered method. The spent coffee grounds biomass-derived carbon (SCC) block was used as electrocatalytic electrode to effectively degrade the antiviral drug of Favipiravir (FAV) in water, which represented excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity with the H2O2 production. The doped heteroatoms in the graphene structure of SCC provided many active sites in the electrocatalytic electrode for ORR as well as more production of reactive OH･. Based on the structural characterization, radical species identification and intermediate products analysis, the reaction mechanism of FAV degradation by the SCC block electrode was proposed. This catalytic system also showed high ecological safety that the ecological toxicity for Vibrio fischeri was significantly reduced with the degradation process of FAV. The degradation of FAV in recycle test and in real sample of lake water, well water, tap water all demonstrated high stability of structure and catalytic activity of SCC. The electrocatalytic system based on SCC block electrode has realized the recycling and utilization of biomass resources and has promising application on the removal of environmental pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Needle-tissue interaction model is essential to tissue deformation prediction, interaction force analysis and needle path planning system. Traditional FEM based needle-tissue interaction model would encounter mesh distortion or continuous mesh subdivision in dealing with penetration, in which the computational instability and poor accuracy could be introduced. In this work, a novel material point method (MPM) is applied to establish the needle-tissue interaction model which is suitable to handle the discontinuous penetration problem. By integrating a hyperelastic material model, the tissue deformation and interaction force can be solved simultaneously and independently. A testbed of needle insertion into a Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel phantom was constructed to validate both tissue deformation and interaction force. The results showed the experimental data agrees well with the simulation results of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the durability of asphalt pavement with heavy traffic conditions in cold regions, the parameter optimization of graded macadam transitional layer (GMTL) for the inverted asphalt pavement based on the mechanical response and the strength standard was studied. The stress distribution laws of GMTL were studied with different loads by means of BISAR3.0. The influences of the thickness and the modulus of GMTL on the pavement stress were analyzed. The optimal thickness and the modulus range of the GMTL were determined. Combined with a self-developing real-time data acquisition and a processing system for aggregate attitude (RDAPS), the strength control standard of the GMTL was established. Finally, the performance of the optimized inverted asphalt pavement structure was verified through the MEPDG design method. The results show that the tensile stress at the bottom of the surface layer reduced by about 58%, and the shear stress in GMTL increased by about 17% when the modulus of GMTL increases from 300 MPa to 800 MPa. However, the change in modulus has no significant influence on the maximum shear stress in the asphalt surface layer and the tensile stress in the base layer bottom. When the thickness of GMTL increases from 12 cm to 20 cm, the tensile stress in the bottom of the base layer reduced by about 31%. Based on the mechanical results from simulation calculation and the technical indicator required in the field, the recommended optimal parameters of GMTL are the modulus of 700 MPa and the thickness of 18 cm. In addition, the spatial attitude angle ΦN of wireless intelligent attitude aggregate (WIAA), the compressive strength Rc standard, and the California Bearing Ratio (CBR) standard were analyzed, and the strength control standard of inverted asphalt pavement with GMTL was proposed, namely, CBR ≥ 354%, Rc ≥ 1.06 MPa, and ΦN ≤ 3°. A significant improvement in the resistance to crack can be seen in the inverted asphalt pavement when the optimized structure was applied. Taking the 20-year service life as an example, the top-down cracks reduced by 29.3% and the bottom-up cracks reduced by 32.6% in comparison to the original structure. The recommended structural parameters of GMTL could be used to guide the construction and design of inverted asphalt pavement in cold regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In needle insertion procedure, needle deflection and target movement will affect targeting accuracy. Existing planning algorithms rely on predetermined interaction force and parameters, which increase the targeting error for the patient-specific difference. In this paper, we proposed a needle-tissue interaction model based needle path planning method with patient-specific parameter identification algorithm, which is able to use iteration learning control and interaction model predicted information to improve targeting accuracy with the consideration of patient-specific differences. A 3D needle-tissue interaction deformation model has been constructed using local constraint method. The model, termed as the full computation model, predicts the needle-tissue interaction force using a Kriging-based model as well as the target movement and needle deflection simultaneously only requiring patient specific parameters. Needle paths without incorporating deformation, which is called static path, are generated by rapidly-exploring random trees algorithm first. Then, the needle-tissue interaction deformation model can calculate force and deformation of the static path and iterative learning control can correct the targeting error of moved target. In addition, the intraoperative parameter identification algorithm is proposed to identify patient-specific parameter. Simulations are carried out to verify the full computation model and needle path planning. A testbed is constructed and experiments are designed to validate the proposed method using phantom with common lesion-size obstacle markers and target markers. The deformation of tissue and needle are captured through charge coupled device camera. Simulation results indicated the full computation model can simulate the needle-tissue interaction process and the proposed method can achieve needle path planning incorporating tissue deformation. Experiment results indicated the tissue deformation and needle deflection agree between model prediction and experiments. The proposed path planning method can reduce targeting error from maximum of 3.89 mm without incorporating deformation to less than 1 mm in 4 phantom experiments. The full computation model based needle path planning is verified to be effective by experiments. The planning accuracy is improved based on the deformation predicted by full computation model and the desired accuracy is achieved. • 3D needle-tissue interaction model based needle path planning method incorporating deformation. • 3D needle -tissue interaction model only requiring patient specific parameters as input. • Patient specific parameters identification algorithm to improve path planning robustness and accuracy. • Both simulations and physical phantom experiments verified accuracy of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a green zero-valent iron-loaded carbon composite (ZVI-SCG) was synthesized using coffee grounds and FeCl3 solution through two-steps method, and the synthesized ZVI-SCG was used in the activation of peroxydisulfate (PDS) to degrade Levofloxacin (LEX). Results revealed that ZVI-SCG exhibited a great potential for LEX removal by adsorption and catalytic degradation in the ZVI-SCG/PDS system, and 99% of LEX was removed in the ZVI-SCG/PDS system within 60 min. ZVI-SCG/PDS system showed a high reactivity toward LEX degradation under realistic environmental conditions. Also, the ZVI-SCG/PDS system could effectively degrade several quinolone antibiotics including gatifloxacin, ciprofloxacin and LEX in single and simultaneous removal modes. A potential reaction mechanism of LEX degradation by ZVI-SCG/PDS system was proposed, SO 4 •−, HO•, O 2 •- and 1O 2 involved in radical and non-radical pathways took part in catalytic degradation of LEX by ZVI-SCG/PDS system, but HO• might be the main reactive species for LEX degradation. The possible degradation pathway of LEX was also proposed based on the identified ten intermediate products, LEX degradation was successfully achieved through decarboxylation, opening ring and hydroxylation processes. The potential toxicity of LEX and its oxidation products decreased significantly after treatment. This study provides a promising strategy of water treatment for the antibiotics-containing wastewater. [Display omitted] • A green zero-valent iron-loaded carbon composite (ZVI-SCG) was synthesized. • ZVI-SCG/PDS system reveals high adsorption and catalytic degradation capacity for LEX. • The radical (SO 4 •−, HO• and O 2 •−) and the non-radical (1O 2) were involved in LEX degradation. • The degradation mechanism of LEX in the ZVI-SCG/PDS system was proposed. • Toxicity of LEX reaction solution decreased significantly after treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the different nanostructures that have been demonstrated as promising materials for various applications, 3D nanostructures have attracted significant attention as building blocks for constructing high‐performance nanodevices. Particularly over the last decade, considerable research efforts have been devoted to designing, fabricating, and evaluating 3D nanostructures as electrodes for electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices. Although remarkable progress has been achieved, the performance of electrochemical energy devices based on 3D nanostructures in terms of energy conversion efficiency, energy storage capability, and device reliability still needs to be significantly improved to meet the requirements for practical applications. Rather than simply outlining and comparing different 3D nanostructures, this article systematically summarizes the general advantages as well as the existing and future challenges of 3D nanostructures for electrochemical energy conversion and storage, focusing on photoelectrochemical water splitting, photoelectrocatalytic solar‐to‐fuels conversion from nitrogen and carbon dioxide, rechargeable metal‐ion batteries, and supercapacitors. A comprehensive understanding of these advantages and challenges shall provide valuable guidelines and enlightenments to facilitate the further development of 3D nanostructured materials, and contribute to the achieving more efficient energy conversion and storage technologies toward a sustainable energy future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coat color determines both appearance and nutrient quality of peanut. White seed coat in peanut can enhance the processing efficiency and quality of peanut oil. An integrative analysis of transcriptomes, metabolomes and histocytology was performed on wsc mutant and its wild type to investigate the regulatory mechanisms underlying color pigmentation. Result: Metabolomes revealed flavonoids were redirected in wsc, while multi-omics analyses of wsc mutant seeds and testae uncovered WSC influenced the flavonoids biosynthesis in testa as well as suberin formation, glycolysis, the TCA cycle and amino acid metabolism. The mutation also enhanced plant hormones synthesis and signaling. Further, co-expression analysis showed that FLS genes co-expressed with MBW complex member genes. Combining tissue expression patterns, genetic analyses, and the annotation of common DEGs for these three stages revealed that three testa specific expressed candidate genes, Araip.M7RY3, Aradu.R8PMF and Araip.MHR6K were likely responsible for the white testa phenotype. WSC might be regulated expression competition between FLS and DFR by controlling hormone synthesis and signaling as well as the MBW complex. Conclusions: The results of this study therefore provide both candidate genes and novel approaches that can be applied to improve peanut with desirable seed coat color and flavonoid quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents recent results of nondestructive health evaluation of the large Buddhist mural “Qifo shuofa tu” (seven Buddha sermon illustration) in the Palace Museum in Beijing, China. In this work, a square-heating thermography system and a thermal tomography method were developed for quantitative 3D evaluation of murals. In particular an image correction method was developed for removing all geometric and illumination distortions. This significantly helped for the seamless combination of all individual images into a single complete image and facilitated quantitative identification and locations of subsurface defects and re-patch pieces from an entire painting image. The thermography results show that this new method has great potential and capability in nondestructive testing and evaluation of large ancient murals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) device based on sliding mode control (SMC) is proposed for grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems that can effectively improve the ability of a PV system to withstand low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) during faults. SMC theory is selected as a nonlinear control technique, since the SMES has the characteristics of being multivariable and nonlinear and having strong coupling in the running process. Both the voltage outer loop and the current inner loop adopt the SMC strategy based on an exponential reaching law to increase the system startup speed and effectively reduce system jitter. Next, the SMES system based on SMC is used in a 100-kW class PV system. When a symmetrical fault or asymmetrical fault occurs suddenly in the grid-connected PV system, the SMES based on SMC can more significantly improve the power and voltage of the point of common coupling (PCC) and effectively suppress the voltage fluctuations of the DC link than the case of not using auxiliary measures or the use of a PI-SMES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB) at ~252 Ma coincided with the largest mass extinction of the Phanerozoic. Previous research on diversity and abundance changes during this event has focused mainly on the terrestrial vertebrate and marine invertebrate records, with little attention to date given to the phytoplankton that form the base of the marine trophic web. Although the fossil record of Permian-Triassic phytoplankton is relatively poor owing to preservational factors, sufficient material is now available to evaluate secular changes in acritarch communities through the mass extinction interval. In this contribution, we evaluate diversity and abundance changes among 8 genera and 25 species of acritarchs, including large-spherical, small-spherical, long-spined, and short-spined forms ranging from the Upper Permian Clarkina yini to the Lower Triassic Isarcicella isarcica zones in eight sections representing different sedimentary facies of the South China Craton. Acritarchs declined sharply from the latest Permian (C. meishanensis Zone) to the earliest Triassic (I. staeschei Zone), with extinctions and abundance changes concentrated at two horizons, the first in the latest Permian C. meishanensis Zone (Bed 25 at Meishan D) and the second in the earliest Triassic I. staeschei Zone (Bed 28 at Meishan D), mirroring the pattern of mortality among marine invertebrates. Differences in the nature and intensity of these two extinction episodes (the second having a relatively larger effect on acritarch community composition) suggest that these events may have resulted from different types of environmental perturbations. Highlights • Eight genera and twenty-five species (belong to four forms) of acritarchs were record from eight sections in South China. • Two extinction events for the acritarchs across the Permian-Triassic transition. • The second event were more severe than the first one. This may result from the different causes for the two events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Bio-oil derived from corn stover increased the viscosity of rubber modified asphalt. • Bio-oil improved the high temperature performance of rubber modified asphalt. • The short-term aging assisted the easiness of blending with bio-oil. • The effect of bio-oil on the high-temperature sensitivity was related to rubber size. Abstract The reuse of waste tire and biomass is important to environmental protection. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of bio-oil on the high-temperature performance of crumb rubber modified asphalt. Two types of crumb rubber powder produced from waste tire, 80-mesh and 20-mesh, were used to prepare the crumb rubber modified asphalt. Four weight ratios of bio-oil to rubber asphalt, 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%, were chosen to prepare the composite modified asphalt binder in this study. Temperature sweep test and multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) test were conducted to evaluate the high-temperature of the composite modified asphalt. The results showed that the viscosities of asphalts modified by 20-mesh crumb rubber were greater than that modified by 80-mesh ones. With the addition of bio-oil into crumb rubber asphalt, the viscosities of the composite modified asphalts first increased then decreased. Bio-oil can enhance the high-temperature performance of crumb rubber modified asphalt due to the physical and chemical interactions in a heated asphalt. The short-term aging process may improve the degree of blending between crumb rubber and bio-oil in the heated asphalt dispersion system and enhance the elastic property of crumb rubber modified asphalt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) has been widely used to stabilize the power fluctuations of wind farms to achieve efficient grid connections. However, conventional converters can rarely satisfy the high power quality requirements of a power grid. Compared to other convertors, a three-level T-type converter (3LT 2 C) can improve the output performance and operating efficiency of a system and reduce the voltage stress and conduction loss of power switches. Therefore, the 3LT 2 C has broad application prospects for electric power storage. A precise control strategy is also necessary for the practical application of an SMES system, which has significant nonlinear dynamic characteristics. Energy-shaping (ES) control is a nonlinear control method that is based on the theoretical design of interconnection and damping assignment (IDA), which considers both the nonlinear nature of a system and the energy perspective. This study proposes an ES control strategy for an SMES system based on a 3LT 2 C. Mathematical models and port-controlled Hamiltonian (PCH) models of the SMES are established. The ES control strategy of the SMES system is designed based on a feedback interconnection structure through analysis of the novel SMES topology. Finally, the effectiveness of the control strategy and the proposed topology are verified through simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High sensitivity imposes strict requirements on a sensing platform, for which nanostructured arrays are promising candidates. The template‐assisted method is an effective strategy to prepare various nanostructured arrays, which are widely developed for different sensing applications. Herein, nanostructured array based sensing platforms prepared from four widely used templates, a colloidal monolayer, anodic aluminum oxide, block copolymer, and a nanoimprint mold, are reviewed. In a series of sensing applications (e.g. biosensing and gas sensing), the resulting nanostructure‐array‐based platforms are high sensitive owing to their advanced morphology features: 1) high‐density alignment of arrayed nanostructures, 2) high surface‐to‐volume ratio, and 3) convex‐rich morphology. In surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) applications, noble‐metal particle arrays with high‐density alignment produce an enhanced SERS signal owing to a strong concentration of plasmonic resonance on the substrate. To sense biomolecules in solution and gaseous molecules, arrays with a high surface‐to‐volume ratio or convex‐rich morphology can sensitively respond to changes in the environment. Moreover, the nanostructure‐array‐based sensing platforms are divided into three types (0D, 1D, and 3D nanostructured arrays) to demonstrate the morphological origin of the sensing performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-oil is a sustainable and environment-friendly material. The application of bio-oil in paving material, especially into asphalt binder territory, has attracted great attentions. This study focuses on the effect of bio-oil on mechanical and rheological characteristics of asphalt mastic. Bio-oil acting as a modifier was incorporated into asphalt binder by a weight percentage of 15%. Eight types of asphalt mastics were fabricated by means of mixing binder with various amounts of mineral powder filler. The effect of bio-oil on the shear property, high-temperature rheological performance and low-temperature flexibility of asphalt mastics was investigated by the cone penetration test, multiple stress creep recovery test and bending beam test, respectively. The result showed that the critical thermostability temperature of petroleum-based asphalt binder was 1.5 times higher than that of bio-modified asphalt binder. The shear strength of asphalt mastic with and without bio-oil increased with an increase in filler-to-binder ratio. The incorporation of bio-oil enhanced the high temperature stability of asphalt mastic. Asphalt mastic with and without bio-oil exhibited a great anti-deformation potential at high temperature of 64 °C when the filler-to-binder ratio reaches to 1.2. Filler-to-binder ratio had little influence on the corresponding deflection of bio-modified asphalt mastic at −10 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) is a common malignancy in the female reproductive system, associated with high morbidity and mortality. Despite the high prevalence of UCEC, molecular understanding of uterine endothelium tumorigenesis remains poorly understood. In this study, we reported that transcription factor 21 (TCF21) inhibits cancer cell proliferation and invasion following overexpression, in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, in response to hypoxia, TCF21 is highly expressed in UCEC cells carrying wild-type p53, and is transcriptional target of p53. We observed that TCF21 interferes with the MAP kinase pathway, which is supported by a substantially reduced level of phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1 or ERK) in cells expressing a higher level of TCF21. Furthermore, we identified the specific region of TCF21 that is responsible for its interaction with mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MEK) and a subsequently reduced activity of ERK. Using molecular docking and mutagenesis analysis, we validated a special domain of TCF21, which can reduce the activity of the MAPK pathway and inhibit uterine endothelium tumor cell growth in vitro. Overall, our study determined that TCF21, a hypoxia-driven p53 target, functions as a tumor suppressor in UCEC and presents as a therapeutic target for tumor treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shear strength of the interface of asphalt concrete structure has a great influence on the mechanical properties and durability of asphalt pavement. This paper describes the experimental design and analysis of the shear properties of the interface between asphalt layers. A self-designed device was employed to measure the direct shear strength of the interface with the aid of the Universal Test Machine (UTM-100). The effect of temperature, dosage of tack coat and type of tack coat on the shear properties of the interface were studied through laboratory testing. Two types of emulsified asphalt binders, namely PC-3 and HV, were selected as the tack coats. The property was evaluated in three tack coat dosages (0.25 Kg/m 2 , 0.5 Kg/m 2 and 0.75 Kg/m 2 based on residual binder) and at four test temperatures (−10 °C, 0 °C, 25 °C and 50 °C). Hence, a total number of 72 composite specimens made of AC-13 and AC-20 were subjected to the shear test to evaluate the interface shear characteristics in terms of interface shear strength, the shear failure displacement and the coefficient of interface bonding at the initial stage of shear. The results showed that the shear strength at the interface decreases gradually with increasing temperature. The least failure shear displacement of all specimens was observed at the highest temperature of 50 °C. Moreover, the results indicated that the brittleness at low temperatures, the flowability at intermediate temperatures, and the viscosity at high temperatures of tack binder have the most significant effects on the shear property of the interface of asphalt pavement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) has become internationally recognized biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of heart failure (HF), it is highly desirable to search for a novel sensing tool for detecting the patient's BNP level at the early stage. Here we report a platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs)-decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) field effect transistor (FET) biosensor coupled with a microfilter system for label-free and highly sensitive detection of BNP in whole blood. The PtNPs-decorated rGO FET sensor was obtained by drop-casting rGO onto the pre-fabricated FET chip and subsequently assembling PtNPs on the graphene surface. After anti-BNP was bound to the PtNPs surface, BNP was successfully detected by the anti-BNP immobilized FET biosensor. It was found that the developed FET biosensor was able to achieve a low detection limitation of 100 fM. Moreover, BNP was successfully detected in human whole blood sample treated by a custom-made microfilter, suggesting the sensor's capability of working in a complex sample matrix. The developed FET biosensor provides a new sensing platform for protein detection, showing its potential applications in clinic sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:The ATP sensitive potassium (KATP) channel plays an important role in the regulation of resting membrane potential and membrane excitability. The role of the KATPchannel in modulating gastric motility is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role and mechanism of the KATPchannel in modulating gastric tone and accommodation in dogs. Materials and methods:Gastric volume under a constant pressure reflecting gastric tone was measured using a barostat device in dogs equipped with a gastric cannula. Gastric accommodation was evaluated by the difference in gastric volume before and after a liquid meal. The roles of cholinergic and nitrergic pathways in the inhibitory effect of pinacidil (a KATPopener) were assessed. Results:1) Pinacidil dose-dependently decreased gastric tone at a dosage of 30 (p = 0.628), 100 (p = 0.013) and 300 μg kg−1(p < 0.001). 2) Glibenclamide, a KATPblocker, completely blocked the inhibitory effect of pinacidil on gastric tone. 3) Atropine did not block the inhibitory effect of pinacidil on gastric tone but Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester markedly attenuated the inhibitory effect of pinacidil (p = 0.004). 4) Glibenclamide significantly reduced gastric accommodation (p < 0.001) while pinacidil had no effects on gastric accommodation. 5) Glibenclamide significantly reduced nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside-induced gastric relaxation. Conclusions:These findings indicate that the KATPchannel plays an important role in modulating gastric tone and accommodation in dogs. The inhibitory effect of pinacidil on gastric tone was through the nitrergic pathway as well as acting directly on smooth muscle cells. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Controller area networks (CANs) had been applied to many safety critical applications, hence the reliability of the CAN network becomes increasingly important. Due to the aging of the cable connections and inappropriate maintenance, the intermittent connection (IC) problem of network cables will occur on the CAN network over time, which will affect the system performance, deteriorate the reliability and safety of the system. Hence, effective detection and accurate localization of the IC fault are crucial to the system reliability assurance. In this paper, a novel IC fault localization algorithm for CAN-based systems is proposed, which utilizes the data link layer information of the CAN network for IC fault pattern analysis. First, the fault events are defined by comparing the detected error records. Second, the context free grammar is used to represent the IC faults based on network topology information. Then, based on the node error event pattern correlation, the concurrent localization algorithm is proposed to localize the local and backbone IC faults. Testbed is constructed and case studies are conducted to demonstrate the proposed methodology under various fault scenarios. Experiment results show that the IC fault locations identified by the proposed method agree well with the experiment setup. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For the clinical application of bone tissue engineering with the combination of biomaterials and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), bone scaffolds should possess excellent biocompatibility and osteoinductivity to accelerate the repair of bone defects. Herein, strontium hydroxyapatite [SrHAP, Ca 10 − x Sr x (PO 4 ) 6 (OH) 2 ]/chitosan (CS) nanohybrid scaffolds were fabricated by a freeze-drying method. The SrHAP nanocrystals with the different x values of 0, 1, 5 and 10 are abbreviated to HAP, Sr1HAP, Sr5HAP and Sr10HAP, respectively. With increasing x values from 0 to 10, the crystal cell volumes and axial lengths of SrHAP become gradually large because of the greater ion radius of Sr 2 + than Ca 2 + , while the crystal sizes of SrHAP decrease from 70.4 nm to 46.7 nm. The SrHAP/CS nanohybrid scaffolds exhibits three-dimensional (3D) interconnected macropores with pore sizes of 100–400 μm, and the SrHAP nanocrystals are uniformly dispersed within the scaffolds. In vitro cell experiments reveal that all the HAP/CS, Sr1HAP/CS, Sr5HAP/CS and Sr10HAP/CS nanohybrid scaffolds possess excellent cytocompatibility with the favorable adhesion, spreading and proliferation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). The Sr5HAP nanocrystals in the scaffolds do not affect the adhesion, spreading of hBMSCs, but they contribute remarkably to cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. As compared with the HAP/CS nanohybrid scaffold, the released Sr 2 + ions from the SrHAP/CS nanohybrid scaffolds enhance alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, extracellular matrix (ECM) mineralization and osteogenic-related COL-1 and ALP expression levels. Especially, the Sr5HAP/CS nanohybrid scaffolds exhibit the best osteoinductivity among four groups because of the synergetic effect between Ca 2 + and Sr 2 + ions. Hence, the Sr5HAP/CS nanohybrid scaffolds with excellent cytocompatibility and osteogenic property have promising application for bone tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydraulic characteristics of pavement, such as pore water pressure, hydrodynamic pressure, and permeability, have a great influence on the functional performance and durability of pavement. The main objective of this study is to design a device for measuring the hydrodynamic pressure of pavement surface and analyze its characteristics with different vehicle speeds. In order to investigate the influence of vehicle speeds on the hydrodynamic pressure of pavement surface, a device equipped with five fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors was designed and utilized to measure the surface hydraulic characteristics at four vehicle speeds in the field. The calibration of FBG sensor was conducted by the interrogator (SmartScan Aero) under given pressures from 0 MPa to 1 MPa with an interval of 0.1 MPa. Then, the device was embedded in the pavement and compacted by an auto wheel, which traveled over the device at different speeds. Furthermore, the experimental data was collected by the interrogator during the process of a moving tire touching the surface of the device. The experimental results showed that the correlation coefficient between the given pressure and the center wavelength change of the FBG sensor was 0.99, which means the FBG sensor was accurate and reliable. The hydrodynamic pressure of the pavement surface increased with the increase in vehicle speed from 40 km/h to 100 km/h. Moreover, the directional anisotropy of the hydraulic pressure was found to be dependent on vehicle speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the dependence of the performance of non-doped blue light emitting devices with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) material bis[4-(9,9-dimethyl-9,10-dihydroacridine)phenyl]sulfone (DMAC-DPS) emission layer on hole and electron transport layers as well as emission layer thickness and study the underlying device physics. On this basis, efficient green and orange devices using DMAC-DPS as host material and TADF material (4s,6s)-2,4,5,6-tetra(9H-carbazol-9-yl)isophthalonitrile (4CzIPN) or 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(3,6-diphenylcarbazol-9-yl)-1,4-dicyanobenzene (4CzTPN-Ph) as emitting dopant are reported. In addition, white devices using single DMAC-DPS: 4CzTPN-Ph emission layer show the maximum external quantum efficiency of 13.4%, maximum power efficiency of 38.3 lm W −1 and current-insensitive Commission Internationale de I'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.29, 0.39). Compared to the approach of combining TADF host and fluorescent dopant, the present devices enable the utilization of all excitons for light emission and the adoption of broad dopant concentration without significantly affecting device efficiency, which is important for the realization of the desired colour purity for display applications, while maintaining the advantages of simple-structure and low-cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting polymer/metal oxide heterostructures have been commonly used in solution-processed tandem organic optoelectronic devices as charge generation layer (CGL) or charge recombination layer. However, the underlying working mechanism remains unexplored. We optimize the preparation of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/zinc oxide (ZnO) CGL and report that the configurations and compositions of the interconnects significantly affect the performance of light-emitting devices. Two-unit and in particular the first reported three-unit solution-processed tandem polymer light-emitting devices show the luminance efficiency matching the total luminance efficiency of the constituent two and three light-emitting units, respectively. Current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements on the devices with various interconnects indicate that charges are generated at the PEDOT:PSS/ZnO interface. CGL-generated current can be described with the Richardson-Schottky thermal emission model, yielding the barrier height close to the "effective band gap" of the PEDOT:PSS/ZnO heterostructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibration responses were investigated for a viscoelastic Single-walled carbon nanotube (visco-SWCNT) resting on a viscoelastic foundation. Based on the nonlocal Euler-Bernoulli beam model, velocity-dependent external damping and Kelvin viscoelastic foundation model, the governing equations were derived. The Transfer function method (TFM) was then used to compute the natural frequencies for general boundary conditions and foundations. In particular, the exact analytical expressions of both complex natural frequencies and critical viscoelastic parameters were obtained for the Kelvin-Voigt visco-SWCNTs with full foundations and certain boundary conditions, and several physically intuitive special cases were discussed. Substantial nonlocal effects, the influence of geometric and physical parameters of the SWCNT and the viscoelastic foundation were observed for the natural frequencies of the supported SWCNTs. The study demonstrates the efficiency and robustness of the developed model for the vibration of the visco-SWCNT-viscoelastic foundation coupling system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on indoor environmental monitoring project of the Juanqinzhai historic building and Wuying Palace located in Forbidden city in Beijing, China. Topics discussed include the initiatives for the preservation of the historic collections in the building, the history of the Juanqinzhai building, and the support of the World Monuments Fund and the Palace Museum. It offers information on the various historic collections of the building, indoor temperature, and the measures to control indoor environment.

This paper investigates the effects of clustering on the effective transverse thermal conductivity of unidirectional cement composites filled with natural hemp fibers. A typical clustering pattern with four hemp fibers embedded into cement matrix is designed as the representative two-dimensional unit cell, which is taken from the periodic cement composite under consideration, and a clustering degree parameter is introduced to adjust the distance between clustered fibers. For this heterogeneous two-component composite model, distributions of the heat flux component are obtained using finite element simulation for various clustering cases involving different global fiber volume concentrations, clustering degree parameters, and thermal conductivity of both fiber and matrix, to evaluate the effective thermal conductivity of the composite. To further reveal the effects caused by clustered fibers, a random cluster pattern of hemp fibers in the unit cell is considered for comparison with the present regular clustering pattern. Further, a simple theoretical model with specified flexible factor f is developed by matching the theoretical and numerical predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fieldbus technology plays an important role in manufacturing systems. Hence, the reliability of the network is critical to the performance and the safety of the system. Among various factors that affect the reliability of the network, the intermittent connection (IC) of the network cable is a common but challenging troubleshooting problem since its location is difficult to identify. IC problems may result in degraded network performance or system level failures in severe cases. In this paper, a novel model-based fault location method is developed for IC problems on controller area networks. By passively capturing IC-induced network errors, two sets of error events are defined for each node, based on which generalized zero inflated Poisson models are used to describe the patterns of the error events. A two-step IC fault location procedure is proposed by examining the statistical significance of the corresponding error events using the fitted models. Case studies are conducted to demonstrate the proposed method on different IC location scenarios. Experiment results show that the locations of the IC problems identified by the proposed method agree well with the experiment setup conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAT), which converts lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) to phosphatidic acid (PA), catalyzes the addition of fatty acyl moieties to the sn-2 position of the LPA glycerol backbone in triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis. We recently reported the cloning and temporal-spatial expression of a peanut (Arachis hypogaea) AhLPAT2gene, showing that an increase in AhLPAT2 transcript levels was closely correlated with an increase in seed oil levels. However, the function of the enzyme encoded by the AhLPAT2 gene remains unclear. Here, we report that AhLPAT2 transcript levels were consistently higher in the seeds of a high-oil cultivar than in those of a low-oil cultivar across different seed developmental stages. Seed-specific overexpression of AhLPAT2 in Arabidopsis results in a higher percentage of oil in the seeds and greater-than-average seed weight in the transgenic plants compared with the wild-type plants, leading to a significant increase in total oil yield per plant. The total fatty acid (FA) content and the proportion of unsaturated FAs also increased. In the developing siliques of AhLPAT2-overexpressing plants, the expression levels of genes encoding crucial enzymes involved in de novo FA synthesis, acetyl-CoA subunit (AtBCCP2) and acyl carrier protein 1 (AtACP1) were elevated. AhLPAT2 overexpression also promoted the expression of several key genes related to TAG assembly, sucrose metabolism, and glycolysis. These results demonstrate that the expression of AhLPAT2 plays an important role in glycerolipid production in peanuts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the preventive conservation by controlling damage and deterioration to diminish daily stresses. It discusses the case study on preservation of collections in the internal environment of the historic building located in Forbidden City, Beijing in China, the preservation project was supported from help by the The Palace Museum and The World Monuments Fund and the environmental conditions like relative humidity and air and variable seasonal temperature. It also talks about using microclimate control for improving the indoor quality in the museum exhibition environment.

Spacecraft tracking-drive flexible systems (STFS) consist of drive mechanisms and flexible structures, including solar array and a variety of large-scale antennas. The electromechanical interaction inside drive mechanisms makes it quite complicated to directly analyze the dynamic characteristics of an STFS. In this paper, an indirect dynamic characteristic analysis method for operating-state STFS is presented. The proposed method utilizes the structure dynamics approximation of drive mechanisms that converts the electromechanical model of an STFS into a structure dynamic model with elastic boundary conditions. The structure dynamics approximation and the dynamic characteristic analysis method are validated by experimental and analytical results, respectively. The analysis results indicate that the gear transmission ratio and viscous friction coefficient are the primary factors in approximating boundary stiffness and damping. Dynamic characteristics of an STFS with a large gear transmission ratio are close to that of a flexible structure with a cantilever boundary. Otherwise, torsion-mode natural frequencies of the STFS become smaller and corresponding modal damping ratios become larger, as a result of the local stiffness and damping features of drive mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The usual practice of using a control chart to monitor a process is to take samples from the process with fixed sampling interval (FSI). In this paper, a synthetic control chart with the variable sampling interval (VSI) feature is proposed for monitoring changes in the process mean. The VSI synthetic chart integrates the VSI chart and the VSI conforming run length (CRL) chart. The proposed VSI synthetic chart is evaluated using the average time to signal (ATS) criterion. The optimal charting parameters of the proposed chart are obtained by minimizing the out-of-control ATS for a desired shift. Comparisons between the VSI synthetic chart and the existing , synthetic , VSI and EWMA charts, in terms of ATS, are made. The ATS results show that the VSI synthetic chart outperforms the other type charts for detecting moderate and large shifts. An illustrative example is also presented to explain the application of the VSI synthetic chart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), about 20 faience beads from several cemeteries discovered since 1970 in China were studied chronologically and typologically. Faience beads excavated in China can be classified into two groups, chemically by composition, and by periods and provenance as: soda-enriched made somewhere on the route from Egypt to central China (11–10th century BCE); and potash-enriched made in China (middle Western Zhou to Eastern Zhou). According to the continuous matrix of inter particle glass (IP glass) and inner micro-structure, the difference between soda- and potash-enriched faience beads was identified, even though the IP glass was badly preserved. The faience beads with potash-enriched glaze and high copper content were in a better state of preservation than those with soda-enriched glaze because of their tight inner structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the analysis of three layers of wallpaper on the "Yu cuixuan" (Bower of Purest Jade) building in the Qianlong Garden of Ningshou Palace in the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. Topics include a discussion of the history of the practice of wallpapering rooms; a discussion of the patterns common to printed wallpaper; and a discussion of analytical methods, such as polarised light microscopy (PLM), staining, Fourier transform infrared microscopy and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various articles within the issue on topics including functional nanostructuring, surface nano-patterning, and nature of complex energy systems.

Objective To explore the effects of parthenolide on growth inhibition, cell apoptosis and corresponding molecular mechanism of human T24 bladder cancer cells. Methods The inhibitory effect of parthenolide on human T24 cells was determined by MTT assay. The cell apoptosis and the cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry. Alterations in signal pathway of NF-κ B and Bcl-2 family proteins were analyzed by Western blot. Results Parthenolide inhibited the proliferation of T24 cells in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. As showed by flow cytometry, parthenolide treatment of the T24 cells led to significant G1-phase cell cycle arrest in a dose-dependent manner and a decrease in cell population in the S-phase, whereas the population of cells in G2/M phase did not chang significantly. Flow cytometry also showed a dose dependent increase in T24 cells apoptosis by parthenolide treatment. Western blot analysis indicated a down-regulation of phosphorylated I κB a in a dose-dependent manner without an effect on I κ B a expression in T24 cells by parthenolide treatment. Parthenolide treatment to T24 cell lines resulted a significant reduction in Bcl-2 protein expression but an increase in Bax protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions Parthenolide treatment could lead to a significant dose-dependent and time-dependent inhibition in the growth and an increase in apoptosis of human T24 bladder cancer cells. The mechanism of action of parthenolide may be related to inhibition of NF-κ B activation and regulation of Bcl-2 family proteins expression in human T24 bladder cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring the reliability of an industrial network has become more and more important due to the complexity of the networked systems and the costs associated with the system downtimes. Among the numerous factors that affect the reliability of networks, intermittent connection (IC), a situation where communication lines suffer from short random disconnections because of various reasons, is a frequent and hard troubleshooting problem. It leads to both quality drawback issues and threat to personal safety. Hence, early detection of ICs is a necessary and challenging task for maintenance of the networked systems. In this paper, a novel model-based IC detection method is proposed based on a generalized zero-inflated Poisson model. A maximum-likelihood-estimation-based model parameter estimation method and optimization of the ranked probability control chart are applied for monitoring the IC events. Characteristics including minimum sampling size and confidence interval of estimated parameters are also studied for model interpretation and IC error detection. A test bed is constructed, and a computer-controlled emulation system is developed. A case study is conducted to demonstrate the modeling and control chart design procedure, as well as the effectiveness of the proposed methodology on IC error detection and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diverse and well-preserved latest Permian phytoplankton assemblages are described from four sections of the Yangtze Block, South China from localities in Zhongzhai (Guizhou Province), Shangsi (Sichuan Province), Xiakou (Hubei Province) and Dongpan (Guangxi Province). Most of the species have been reported previously from other upper Permian sections worldwide. The South Chinese phytoplankton taxa are generally very small in size, usually displaying diameters of about 20 μm and commonly include the generaMicrhystridium,VeryhachiumandLeiosphaeridia. However, larger taxa with vesicles often exceeding 80 μm in diameter, such asDictyotidium, are also abundant in the Shangsi section. Due to the presence of large populations ofMicrhystridiumandVeryhachium, a simple classification scheme for theMicrhystridium/Veryhachiumcomplex is proposed, based on the geometrical shape of the vesicle. We propose dividing the complex into five groups: theVeryhachium cylindricumgroup, representing all ellipsoidal specimens; theVeryhachium trispinosumgroup, all with triangular-shaped vesicles; theVeryhachium lairdiigroup, all with rectangular forms; theMicrhystridium pentagonalegroup, all with pentagonal specimens; and theMicrhystridium brevegroup, which includes all spherical forms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The Paleozoic fossil record of organic-walled microphytoplankton is represented by the acritarchs, organic-walled microfossils (OWMs) considered mostly as the resting cysts of phytoplanktonic organisms, although the biological affinities of the acritarchs are, by definition, unknown. Acritarchs appear in the Precambrian and reach their highest diversity in the Lower and Middle Paleozoic (Cambrian to Devonian). After a drastic diversity drop in the Devonian, they are considered to be of very low diversity in the Upper Paleozoic (Carboniferous to Permian), where some authors claim the presence of a ‘phytoplankton blackout’ due to nutrient depletion in the oceans. Here we present a synthesis of the Permian fossil record of acritarchs. The revision shows that Permian acritarch descriptions have largely been neglected, compared to other palynomorph groups, such as spores and pollen grains. While larger organic-walled cysts, as known from the Lower and Middle Paleozoic, are usually absent, many smaller acritarchs are commonly found in Permian palynological assemblages. In addition, several OWMs interpreted as fungal spores have been described, but also possible green algae, including chlorophycean, prasinophycean or zygnematophyceaen algae. During most of the Permian stages, OWMs show genus richness of about 20 to 30 genera. Some genera, such as Micrhystridium and Veryhachium, have been reported in over 40 publications. Nevertheless, many Permian acritarchs still need to be documented in detail, and additional systematical studies, in particular of the very small taxa, are needed to fully understand the diversity and significance of Permian phytoplankton. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Weapon systems effectiveness simulation (WESS) is a special kind of complex system simulation. There are not only much potential for composable modeling, but also urgent demands for composable simulation in WESS domain. Current approaches toward simulation composability e.g. unified simulation protocols, unified modeling methodologies, unified model specifications and so on, are mostly put forward from a technological perspective with lots of application domain specific knowledge left alone. Consequently, the true composability aim is far from fulfilled. In this research, the pivot of composability is put on the model architecture of a simulation application. By ways of pre-implementing the domain invariable knowledge (DIK) as a composable domain specific modeling framework, simulation application development is simplified as representing application variable knowledge (AVK) via customizing or extending the domain specific modeling framework. Along this approach, a composable modeling framework (CMF) for WESS domain is developed. The successful applications of CMF show its effectiveness on improving simulation development efficiency and model composability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid–liquidequilibria (LLE) data for the quaternary system2-methoxy-2-methylpropane (MTBE) + phenol + hydroquinone + water andits one ternary subsystem MTBE + hydroquinone + water were measuredat 313.15 K and atmospheric pressure. The distribution of phenol andhydroquinone between the organic phase and the aqueous phase was investigated.The reliability of the experimental tie-line data of the quaternarysystem was verified by the Hand and Bachman correlations. The experimentaldata were correlatedwith the nonrandom two-liquid (NRTL) and universal quasichemical activitycoefficient (UNIQUAC) models. The binary interaction parameters ofthese two models were reported. Both models correlated the experimentaldata successfully. Experimental LLE data were compared with the valuescalculated by these two models, and good agreement was obtained forthe ternary and quaternary systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Solid dispersions are used as a useful approach to improve the dissolution rate and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). The present study investigated the impact of amorphous polymers (polyvinylpolypyrrolidone K30 and polyvinylpolypyrrolidone K90) and semicrystalline polymers (polyethyleneglycol 6000 and polyethylene–polypropylene glycol 188) on the dissolution profile of pioglitazone solid dispersions and crystallization behavior from a supersaturable state. Generated solid dispersions by these polymers resulted in significant dissolution enhancements compared with the crystalline API, whereas the dissolution differences of solid dispersions prepared by amorphous and semicrystalline polymers were not notable. Amorphous polymers themselves are superior to semicrystalline polymers for the dissolution enhancement of the crystalline API in a medium containing pre-dissolved polymers. For maintaining a supersaturated state, all polymers were observed to reduce crystal growth rates of pioglitazone compared with the drug alone. Amorphous polymers were more effective at inhibiting crystallization rates, while semicrystalline polymers were much less effective. The intermolecular interaction between drug and amorphous polymers was enhanced from the analysis of DSC, PXRD, and FT-IR compared with that between drug and semicrystalline polymers. Amorphous polymers (PVP) were the most suitable polymers to design pioglitazone solid dispersions considering both dissolution profiles and crystallization inhibition effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]