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Thrombosis is a complex biological process which involves many biochemical reactions and is influenced by blood flow. Various computational models have been developed to simulate natural thrombosis in diseases such as aortic dissection (AD), and device-induced thrombosis in blood-contacting biomedical devices. While most hemodynamics-based models consider the role of low shear stress in the initiation and growth of thrombus, they often ignore the effect of thrombus breakdown induced by elevated shear stress. In this study, a new shear stress-induced thrombus breakdown function is proposed and implemented in our previously published thrombosis model. The performance of the refined model is assessed by quantitative comparison with experimental data on thrombus formation in a backward-facing step geometry, and qualitative comparison with in vivo data obtained from an AD patient. Our results show that incorporating thrombus breakdown improves accuracy in predicted thrombus volume and captures the same pattern of thrombus evolution as measured experimentally and in vivo. In the backward-facing step geometry, thrombus breakdown impedes growth over the step and downstream, allowing a stable thrombus to be reached more quickly. Moreover, the predicted thrombus volume, height and length are in better agreement with the experimental measurements compared to the original model which does not consider thrombus breakdown. In the patient-specific AD, the refined model outperforms the original model in predicting the extent and location of thrombosis. In conclusion, the effect of thrombus breakdown is not negligible and should be included in computational models of thrombosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stent graft-induced new entry tear (SINE) is a serious complication in aortic dissection patients caused by the stent-graft itself after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). The stability of SINE is a key indicator for the need and timing of reinterventions. This study aimed to understand the role of hemodynamics in SINE stability by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis based on patient-specific anatomical information. Four patients treated with TEVAR who developed a distal SINE (dSINE) were included; two patients had a stable dSINE and two patients experienced expansion of the dSINE upon follow-up examinations. CFD simulations were performed on geometries reconstructed from computed tomography scans acquired upon early detection of dSINE in these patients. Computational results showed that stable dSINEs presented larger regions with low time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS) and high relative residence time (RRT), and partial thrombosis was observed at subsequent follow-ups. Furthermore, significant systolic antegrade flow was observed in the unstable dSINE which also had a larger retrograde flow fraction (RFF) on the SINE plane. In conclusion, this pilot study suggested that high RRT and low TAWSS may indicate stable dSINE by promoting thrombosis, whereas larger RFF and antegrade flows inside dSINE might be associated with its expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring the defective multichip insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) module is a cost-effective approach to improve the quality of customer service. A method using time duration of the gate charge is proposed to monitor bond wires fatigue of the multichip IGBT modules when the modules are in the off-state. It is based on the fact that failure of the chip branch due to bond wires fatigue changes the gate input capacitance of the multichip IGBT module. The health state of bond wires can be converted into the change of time duration of gate charge under the constant gate current. A driver containing the constant current source is proposed. The study results indicate that the time duration of the gate charge decreases significantly when the failure of the chip branch occurs, and the effect of junction temperature can be ignored within the special range of gate voltage. Condition monitoring can be implemented during the off-state of the multichip module and without considering the effects of junction temperature. The confirmatory experiment is carried out to verify the correctness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normally entrepreneur would raise fund from angel investors during the initial round. If the venture program was by then successful, the entrepreneur would then continue the fund-raising process from venture capitalist. By adopting the convertible preferred stock, we managed to construct the two-stage angel investment decision process. This research reveals the following: (1) The probability of the first stage’s success has negative relationships with levels of priority dividend in both first and second stages, as well as with the venture capitalist’s proportion of shares. (2) The probability of the second stage’s success has negative relationships with the venture capitalist’s proportion of shares and the dividend level of both first and second stage funding. (3) There has been a threshold of dividend distribution, which belongs to angel investor. While the level of angel investor’s shares is higher than the threshold, AN would decide to join the second phase of the program; otherwise, AN would exit the project at the end of the first stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When venture capital has been invested into venture companies, venture capitalists and venture entrepreneurs form a principal-agent relationship. Take into account the fact that the venture entrepreneur’s effort is a long process, because the effort is not the same at different stage. Therefore, efforts variables are seen as the multistage dynamic variable, and venture investment principal-agent model with venture entrepreneurs having multistage efforts is constructed on the basis of the classic principal-agent theory in the paper. Further, in the later stage effort of venture entrepreneurs is affected by the size of prestage benefit with venture capitalists and venture entrepreneurs; thus the fairness preference model is improved, and venture investment principal-agent model with venture entrepreneurs having multistage efforts is constructed on the basis of fairness preference theory. Both theoretical derivation and simulation have demonstrated that, under the condition of information asymmetry, if the fairness preference of venture entrepreneurs holds, then (1) venture capitalists provide venture entrepreneurs with level higher than that without fairness preference, (2) in every single stage venture entrepreneurs make efforts higher than those without fairness preference, and (3) in two periods both venture investors and venture entrepreneurs gain total real gains higher than those in two periods without fair preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The coupled bending and torsional vibration of a fiber-reinforced composite cantilever with an edge surface crack is investigated. The model is based on linear fracture mechanics, the Castigliano theorem and classical lamination theory. The crack is modeled with a local flexibility matrix such that the cantilever beam is replaced with two intact beams with the crack as the additional boundary condition. The coupling of bending and torsion can result from either the material properties or the surface crack. For the unidirectional fiber-reinforced composite, analysis indicates that changes in natural frequencies and the corresponding mode shapes depend on not only the crack location and ratio, but also the material properties (fiber orientation, fiber volume fraction). The frequency spectrum along with changes in mode shapes may help detect a possible surface crack (location and magnitude) of the composite structure, such as a high aspect ratio aircraft wing. The coupling of bending and torsion due to a surface crack may serve as a damage prognosis tool of a composite wing that is initially designed with bending and torsion decoupled by noting the effect of the crack on the flutter speed of the aircraft. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Gate-oxide degradation has been one of the critical reliability concerns of silicon carbide (SiC) metal–oxide–semiconductor-field-effect transistors (mosfets), which could be monitored through aging-sensitive parameters. In this article, an online gate-oxide degradation monitoring method for planar SiC mosfets is proposed by extracting gate charge time at a specific range of gate voltage. It is based on the findings that the input capacitances of planar SiC mosfets change significantly over gate-oxide degradation, which is theoretically analyzed and experimentally verified. The capacitance variations are converted into the gate charge time as the new aging-sensitive parameter. The new parameter measurement circuit is proposed and integrated into the gate driver module. The article results indicate that the new parameter varies noticeably with gate-oxide degradation and the difference of this parameter caused by junction temperature is much smaller than that caused by degradation. Besides, the parameter is immune to package degradation and load current. The condition monitoring method can be implemented online since the parameter is extracted during the off-state of SiC mosfet devices, which does not affect normal operation. The confirmatory experiment is carried out to verify the correctness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays X70 steel has been used as a core material for the construction of high-pressure, large-diameter and high-strength steel pipelines. The wall of piplines of an operating pipline system will deform in various degrees. Severe deformation will lead to microcracks or even a fracture. The ultrasonic flaw detection method is designed for the detection and evaluation of microcracks and defects caused by the deformation of X70 steel. However, an effective method to measure the stress level of X70 steel accurately is still lacking since the deformation of X70 steel often occurs within the elastic stage or plastic stage. Through conducting an experiment to study the tensile test of X70 steel specimens under a constant temperature, and measuring the propagation time and amplitude of ultrasonic LCR wave simultaneously to conclude the law of the propagation of ultrasonic LCR wave in elastic-plastic deformation of X70 steel, and determine the relationship between the propagation time and the amplitude of ultrasonic LCR wave and the deformation degree of X70 steel. According to the study, the deformation degree of X70 steel could be determined by the propagation time of ultrasonic LCR wave and the amplitude of the first wave: the level of stress could be calculated within the elastic stage and the deformation degree could be calculated within the plastic stage. The study results provide an effective support for the stress measurement of X70 steel by ultrasonic LCR wave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air curtain is an effective means to stop the propagation of smoke in buildings to provide smoke-free area for safe egress of occupants in case of fires. To understand its effectiveness of smoke confinement in tunnel fires, full-scale tests were conducted in a tunnel of 140 m long and with varying heights of 5.0 m to 5.9 m and varying widths of 5.8 m to 10.8 m. A 20 cm-wide air curtain spanning entire lateral section was installed underneath the tunnel ceiling. The experiment showed that air curtain at exit velocities of 12 m/s and 16 m/s can stop the propagation of smoke produced by 1 MW fire and 2 MW fire respectively. Numerical simulation using ANSYS FLUENT was then conducted and the numerical results were basically consistent with those of experiment. To explore how the design parameters of air curtain, i.e., the width, the exit velocity and its angle, affect its effectiveness of smoke confinement at varying heat release rates, a number of numerical simulations were further conducted. The relationship of design parameters of air curtain with heat release rates was proposed and it can be used in the design of air curtain in tunnel fires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The junction temperature fluctuation of an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is the most important factor of its aging failure, and smoothing the fluctuation is an effective way to improve the life of an IGBT. The existing methods for smoothing the fluctuation by active junction temperature control are not yet ready wide application, and exploring the different approaches to active junction temperature control is a hot topic. This paper presents a method of active junction temperature control that shifts the turn-off trajectory of an IGBT to adjust the IGBT turn-off loss for smoothing the junction temperature. The relationship between parameters of the adjusting circuit and turn-off loss is analyzed. On the basis of this analysis, a method of estimating the smoothing ability for the proposed active junction temperature control is deduced. Using an IGBT installed in a 1.2-MW direct-drive wind power converter as an example, the evaluation result shows that the proposed method can completely smooth the junction temperature fluctuation caused by a 40% rated load fluctuation. Finally, a low-power experiment is carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) accounts for 95% of all cases of bladder cancer worldwide, with a high incidence and poor prognosis. Chromobox (CBX) proteins play a key role in numerous malignant tumors; however, the role of CBX in BLCA remains unknown. Herein, the present study found that, compared with in normal bladder tissues, the expression levels of CBX1, CBX2, CBX3, CBX4 and CBX8 were markedly increased in BLCA tissues, as determined by Tumor Immune Estimation Resource, UALCAN and ONCOMINE analyses, whereas CBX6 and CBX7 were decreased in BLCA tissues. Furthermore, evident hypomethylation in the promoters of CBX1, and CBX2, as well as significant hypermethylation in the promoters of CBX5, CBX6 and CBX7, was detected in BLCA tissues compared with in normal bladder tissues. The expression of CBX1, CBX2 and CBX7 was involved in the prognosis of patients with BLCA. Low CBX7 expression was strongly associated with poorer overall survival in patients with BLCA, whereas high CBX1 and CBX2 expression was associated with poorer progression-free survival. Besides, significant associations were determined between the expression of CBXs and immune cell infiltration, including dendritic cells, neutrophils, macrophages, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and B cells. Overall, the current results may provide a rationale for developing new targets and prognostic markers for BLCA therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]