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The epitranscriptome embodies many new and largely unexplored functions of RNA. A significant roadblock hindering progress in epitranscriptomics is the identification of more than one modification in individual transcript molecules. We address this with CHEUI (CH3 (methylation) Estimation Using Ionic current). CHEUI predicts N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and 5-methylcytosine (m5C) in individual molecules from the same sample, the stoichiometry at transcript reference sites, and differential methylation between any two conditions. CHEUI processes observed and expected nanopore direct RNA sequencing signals to achieve high single-molecule, transcript-site, and stoichiometry accuracies in multiple tests using synthetic RNA standards and cell line data. CHEUI's capability to identify two modification types in the same sample reveals a co-occurrence of m6A and m5C in individual mRNAs in cell line and tissue transcriptomes. CHEUI provides new avenues to discover and study the function of the epitranscriptome. The epitranscriptome holds many unexplored RNA functions, but detecting multiple modifications from one sample remains challenging. Here, authors devise a strategy combining AI and nanopore sequencing to uncover a transcriptome-wide co-occurrence of two modification types in individual RNA molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments conducted under controlled conditions can be poor predictors of the field performance of rhizobial inoculants. In this study, five field experiments were conducted over 2 years to evaluate the symbiotic performance of 12 previously identified strains isolated from Australia and Myanmar soils that had potential to improve chickpea productivity through symbiotic N2 fixation. Strains collected from Australian soils had more than double the survival on seed and up to three times the nodulation at some experimental sites, compared with strains isolated from Myanmar soils. Generally, the newly isolated strains did not perform better than the current Australian commercial strain, Mesorhizobium ciceri CC1192. Although Myanmar strains had poor nodulation of chickpea plants (below nodule rating 1 in most cases) under Australian field conditions, the plant traits related to growth and symbiosis, such as shoot dry weight (SDW), yield and N fixation, were improved and sometimes equal to the plants inoculated with the Australian strains. Partial correlations showed that plants inoculated with Myanmar strains had greater associations with N fixation measurements (7 plant traits) than nodule number (1 trait), while a symbiotic effectiveness measure of the ratio between N fixation and nodule mass indicated that Myanmar strains are more than 75% more symbiotically efficient compared with the Australian strains. Better seed and soil survival of the Myanmar strains may increase plant nodulation and may lead to a highly effective inoculant strain. This study is one of the first to report increased symbiotic efficiency of N fixation of novel strains compared to a widely utilised commercial chickpea-nodulating strain, on a per nodule basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eu3+/Tb3+-co-doped CaWO4 phosphors were synthesized by a simple green co-precipitation process. The structure of the samples was investigated by X-ray diffraction. The photoluminescence spectra and fluorescence decay lifetimes of the samples were measured to investigate the luminescence properties. We analyzed the energy transfer process between Eu3+- and Tb3+-doped CaWO4. As the Tb3+ to Eu3+ energy transfer process was confirmed, Eu3+- and Tb3+-co-doped CaWO4 phosphors showed a color-tunable emission from green to red under a 365-nm UV lamp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhanced oxygen vacancy (VO) has been designated as an effective strategy to prepare high-performance MnO2 nanocatalysts for the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOC) for thereof unbalanced electronic structure, and rapid electron transfer which may even reduce the reaction temperature down to room temperature. Herein, the effects of the VO on the catalytic performance of nano-sized MnO2 were discussed by classifying the VO into surface-anchored and bulk-involved ones. Currently used introducing and modulating methods for VO including elemental doping, energetic particle bombardment, atmosphere heat treatment, mechanical chemistry, and redox methods are detailly reviewed. Corresponding regulating mechanisms for VO are expounded. Commonly used characterization methods including ESR, XPS, HRTEM, and UV-vis are reviewed. Furtherly, the unveiled question which is highly expected to be answered on VO of MnO2 nanocatalysts is proposed. The purpose of this review is to present the current status of research on MnO2 nanoparticles and to provide researchers with basic research ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catastrophic brittle failure of ductile materials by liquid metal embrittlement (LME) is a widely documented phenomenon but the fundamentals of its initiation mechanism are poorly understood. The widespread use of Zn-coated advanced high strength steels in the automotive industry has been plagued by Zn-induced LME which is frequently observed in high-temperature forming and welding applications. In this study, numerical modeling and an atomic-scale experimental investigation are used in order to gain insight into the atomistic events that lead to the onset of LME cracking. The results showed that the formation of a stress-induced diffusion wedge (SIDW) at the exposed grain boundary (GB) due to the interdiffusion of Zn-embrittler atoms was the trigger for LME. The formation of the SIDW facilitated the diffusion of the Zn-embrittler atoms into the GBs, which compromised their mechanical integrity. The results show that LME initiation entails several steps: (i) solid-state GB diffusion, (ii) formation of the SIDW, (iii) eventual melting of the SIDW, and (iv) opening of the liquid wedge due to interdiffusion and the application of externally applied stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A printable conductive ink that is both highly conductive and stretchable is desired for flexible and wearable electronics. This can be achieved by using silver nanowires as the conductive filler instead of the typically used silver flakes or nanoparticles. It is shown here that long, thin nanowires, lower metal fills and employing plasma sintering rather than thermal annealing leads to the best stretchability. The optimized silver nanowire ink with a 5% metal fill can have resistivity as low as 9.3 × 10−6 Ω cm, increases resistance by only 5× after 250 cycles of 30% strain, and remains conductive to at least 500% strain. It is significantly more stretchable and conductive than commercial stretchable inks, especially at the low sintering temperatures often used in flexible electronics. Moreover, this ink represents the best combination of stretchability and conductivity of all printable inks in the literature. It is found that the reason for the high stretchability of nanowire inks is both its low metal fill and high mechanical strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fuel tank of the advanced heavy launch vehicle is made of 2219 aluminum alloy with a thickness of 18 mm. Friction stir welding (FSW) technology is used to achieve the welding of the fuel tank. The increase of thickness directly affects welding temperature field, which ultimately affects the welding quality. At present, the temperature distribution law of FSW thick 2219 aluminum alloy is still blank, which is a bottleneck to ensure high welding quality. In this paper, a temperature field measurement and analyses system based on K-type thermocouple and LabVIEW for friction stir welding is developed first. Then experiments are carried out and the temperature data in welding and thickness directions are measured and the temperature law is analyzed. The comparison of temperature distribution of FSW thick and thin 2219 aluminum alloy is made, and the influence of welding thickness on the temperature field is studied. Based on temperature field, weld strength and microstructure, the influence of different process parameters on welding quality is explored. The research results lay a foundation for optimization of the welding process parameters and realization of constant temperature control of FSW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With advances in construction techniques and building materials, lightweight and flexible structures have been widely developed. Its light mass, low damping, and low frequency properties make it extremely vulnerable to human-induced vibration. Researchers have found that occupancy of a crowd would increase the damping of structures and decrease their natural frequencies. The adoption of a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) mass-spring-damper (MSD) model of the human body can illustrate the phenomenon. Therefore, to obtain the dynamic properties of the human body, we designed a full-scale experimental platform and measured the dynamic properties of the empty structure and the human-structure interaction system separately. The dynamic parameters of the human body in a standing position, a sitting position at different vibration levels were obtained. A total of 30 participants were involved in this study and the average frequency and damping ratio identified were 5.12 Hz and 36.76% respectively, when the body was in a standing position, and 4.92 Hz and 43.93% respectively when the body was in a sitting position. The results of the identification show that the human fundamental frequency decreases with increasing vibration magnitude and the human damping ratio tends to increase with increasing vibration magnitude, regardless of whether the human body is in a standing or sitting position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of interface passivation structures in ultrathin Cu(In,Ga)Se2 based solar cells is shown. The fabrication used an industry scalable lithography technique—nanoimprint lithography (NIL)—for a 15 × 15 cm2 dielectric layer patterning. Devices with a NIL nanopatterned dielectric layer are benchmarked against electron-beam lithography (EBL) patterning, using rigid substrates. The NIL patterned device shows similar performance to the EBL patterned device.The impact of the lithographic processes in the rigid solar cells' performance were evaluated via X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and through a Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator. The device on stainless-steel showed a slightly lower performance than the rigid approach, due to additional challenges of processing steel substrates, even though scanning transmission electron microscopy did not show clear evidence of impurity diffusion. Notwithstanding, time-resolved photoluminescence results strongly suggested elemental diffusion from the flexible substrate. Nevertheless, bending tests on the stainless-steel device demonstrated the mechanical stability of the CIGS-based device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ti–15Mo alloy has become a widely recognized biomedical Ti alloy due to its excellent properties, including a low Young's modulus that is close to that of a human bone. Selective laser melting (SLM) additive manufacturing (AM) offers both advanced manufacturing capabilities to the processing of the alloy and the potential to make customized implants. The feedstock cost of pre-alloyed Ti–15Mo powder, however, is high, like that of many other Ti alloys, and can be a major obstacle to the wider application of the AM technique. This study focused on mitigating this problem by using an in situ laser alloying approach, wherein a low-cost hydride-dehydrate (HDH) Ti powder was mechanically mixed with elemental Mo powder to form a composite powder feedstock (i.e., Ti + Mo). The Ti–15Mo alloy could be printed with a high relative density (~ 99.76%). A finite element simulation was performed to study the melt pool during the SLM process with subsequent detailed discussions to understand the in situ alloying mechanism. Mechanical property indicates the as-printed Ti–15Mo has high strength (~ 1170 MPa) but low ductility, while the latter has been much improved by introducing a merely 0.2 wt% of yttrium (Y). Based on the optimized Ti–15Mo–0.2Y alloy with a strength of ~ 1300 MPa and a modulus of ~ 85 GPa, different amounts of elemental Ag powder were further alloyed in situ to acquire antibacterial properties. Compared with the antibacterial activity of the control group, that of the final material, i.e., in situ laser alloyed Ti–15Mo–0.2Y–2.5Ag, reached 92–95%; the addition of Ag had a minimal effect on the cell viability. In vivo experiments demonstrated the Ag-containing alloys to exhibit good biocompatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severe electric and thermal environments may cause localized deterioration of the contact behavior of thermoelectric devices. The contact responses of the thermoelectricity under the joint effect of the finite size and the friction are analyzed. The law of the Coulomb friction is adopted. The obtained Fredholm kernel functions reveal the influence of the thickness and the friction. The known Jacobi polynomials are employed to discretize the obtained singular integral equation. The effects of the thermoelectric loadings (the total electric current and the total energy flux), friction coefficient, the thermoelectric strip thickness, and the elastic and thermoelectric material constants on the distribution of the normal traction and the surface in-plane stress are demonstrated in detail. The smaller thermal expansion coefficient and shear modulus will contribute to the lower stress concentration at both contact edges. The surface in-plane tensile stress behind the trailing edge can be alleviated as the thermoelectric strip becomes thinner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lath martensitic high-strength steels are some of the most widely used materials in structural applications, and consequently, refining and controlling the lath martensitic morphology is of significant interest to expand the versatility of the steels and their associated range of applications. It is well known that the steel's carbon content has a pronounced effect on the lath martensitic morphology, its crystallography, and hierarchical structure, but the effect of other elements like Mn and Ni is still relatively unclear. This study provides a comprehensive investigation on the effect of Ni on the morphology, crystallography, microstructural refinement, internal transformational strain, and mechanical properties of lath martensite using advanced analytical tools at the meso-, nano-, and atomic scales to offer insights that have so far been lacking in the literature. The in situ alloying of Ni with the bulk microstructure triggered a relatively ideal martensitic transformation such that the majority of the austenite (γ) grains transformed into four martensitic packets (with each packet representing one of the four close-packed {111} planes in a given γ-grain) with a relatively homogenous distribution of the twenty-four martensitic variants that can potentially evolve in an γ-grain based on the Kurdjumov–Sachs (K–S) orientation relationship. The addition of Ni lowered the martensite start (Ms) temperature and strengthened the γ-matrix at lower temperatures, which resulted in the refinement of the packets and blocks due to an inherent need by the matrix to self-accommodate the transformational strain, whereby significantly decreasing the internal strain in the microstructure. The results of this study showed that alloying lath martensitic steels with Ni can prove to be an effective method to refine the hierarchical microstructure in a way that can be used to improve the mechanical properties of these steels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultra-low elastic modulus (~34 GPa), high strength, and low density of Ti-Zr-Al-V series alloys show a great application potential as implant materials. However, their surface properties need to be studied and improved before clinical applications. In this work, nanocomposite coatings are deposited on the surface of the Ti-30Zr-5Al-3V alloy through the magnetron sputtering technique at various N2 flow rates. X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, and electrochemical workstation are employed to investigate the effect of the N2 flow rate (NFR) on the phase constitution, microstructure, and corrosion resistance in a simulated body fluid of the nanocomposite coatings. The phase constitution of the nanocomposite coating changes from α-Ti + Ti2N to α-Ti (inner layer) + Ti2N + TiN (outer layer) as the NFR increases from 6 × 10-5 to 4.8 × 10-4 m3/h. The tiny nanograins (~30 nm) cluster together and then coarsen into lumpy grains of an average size of 117.2 nm with the increase of the NFR. Analyses of potentiodynamic polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy prove the obvious enhanced corrosion resistance of specimens with the nanocomposite coating. And the specimen, after deposition at the NFR = 2.4 × 10-4 m3/h, has the best corrosion resistance. The formation of TiN and the cluster of tiny nanograins are the major reasons for affecting the corrosion resistance of the nanocomposite coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Residual stress often generates during preparation, processing and use of silicon carbide (SiC) single crystal, which seriously affects the quality and service life of materials. Objective: This work aimed at evaluating the stress states in 6H-SiC single crystal wafers with different crystallographic orientations. Methods: The principle of determining the stress state of the hexagonal crystal system material through a multiple regression method was derived by modifying the related theory. Then the in-plane residual stress states of 6H-SiC samples grown along the [0001], 10 1 ¯ 0 and 11 2 ¯ 0 orientations were calculated, respectively. And the effect of the number of diffraction planes on the stress measurement results was studied. Finally, the stress results of SiC-6H materials grown in different crystallographic orientations were compared. Results: We found that the plane stress errors were gradually decreased with increase of the number of crystallographic planes, and were much lower than the ones estimated when the stress-free interplanar spacing was known; The residual stress states in single-crystal 6H-SiC of different crystallographic orientations were significantly different. Single-crystal 6H-SiC with 11 2 ¯ 0 growth direction had the smallest stress values, which was associated with the primary slip system {0001} ⟨ 11 2 ¯ 0 ⟩ . Conclusions: The improved methodology based on the multiple regression analysis can be applied to the stress measurement of single-crystal 6H-SiC. At least 6 planes should be used for stress detection to ensure the accuracy of residual stress results. Crystallographic orientation significantly influences the in-plane residual stress state in silicon carbide single crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tb3+-doped Zn–Al (Zn–Al–Tb) hydrotalcites with tunable blue-green emission synthesized by co-precipitation. The compositions and properties of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and photoluminescence. XRD and FTIR results indicate that the samples were in a pure hydrotalcite-like phase. The fluorescence spectra indicate that the Zn–Al hydrotalcite exhibited blue fluorescence at 350–450 nm. Under an excitation wavelength of 231 nm, Zn–Al–Tb hydrotalcite exhibited the characteristic green emission of 5D0–7FJ of Tb3+, and the fluorescence lifetime of the sample was 0.8442 ms. At different excitation wavelengths, Zn–Al–Tb hydrotalcites can exhibit emission from green to blue wavelengths, which indicates that Zn–Al–Tb hydrotalcites are potential multicolor functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tensile behavior at different deformation temperature of a transient liquid-phase (TLP) bonded joint of γ′-strengthened Co-based superalloy was investigated. A temperature dependence phenomenon of the joint's fracture position was found, which transferred from the base metal to the bonding area with increase in the temperature, and this is related to the deformation mechanism. At room temperature, dislocation shearing the γ′ phases in different areas of the joint domains the deformation and makes it heterogeneous, and more deformation has occurred at the BM because of lower content of γ′ phase, which makes the failure occurred at the BM. The deformation mechanism gradually transferred from dislocation shearing to bypassing the γ′ with increasing the temperature, making the deformation become diffused, and this can lead to the fracture of the joint's brittle borides, and the coalescence of the boride-induced cracks makes the fracture occur at the diffusion affect zone at 600 °C~ 900 °C. As the secondary-γ′ in the joint's isothermal solidification zone dissolves at 1000 °C, more deformation occurs there and the accumulation of micro-voids induced by the dislocation climbing leads to the fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas metal arc brazing (GMAB) technology is a transformative non-fusion joining process used in the joining of thin-gauge advanced high strength steels (AHSSs) employed in the automotive industry. Due to its lower heat input capability, the technology offers several benefits over conventional gas-metal-arc welding (GMAW) process such as minimal Zn-coating burn-off, lower distortion, minimal welding defects, and a reduced heat-affected zone (HAZ). In this study, the effect of torch position and (work and push) angles on the location of droplet transfer, behavior of arc, resulting bead geometry, and the mechanical properties of lap joints have been investigated during GMAB of galvannealed DP600 using CuSi3Mn1 (i.e., Si-Bronze) filler wire. The results showed that the torch position and process angles have a significant effect on the location of the arc and the location of the droplet transfer, which impacts the geometry of the melt pool which controls the final bead geometry. Subsequently, it was shown that torch angle and position had a direct influence on the distribution of the heat input into the workpiece, as well as on the mechanical properties of the joint. As a result, this study offers detailed insights into the optimization of the arc-brazed joints by controlling the torch position and angle without changing the main processing parameters such as wire feed speed, travel speed, and voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utility of cancer whole genome and transcriptome sequencing (cWGTS) in oncology is increasingly recognized. However, implementation of cWGTS is challenged by the need to deliver results within clinically relevant timeframes, concerns about assay sensitivity, reporting and prioritization of findings. In a prospective research study we develop a workflow that reports comprehensive cWGTS results in 9 days. Comparison of cWGTS to diagnostic panel assays demonstrates the potential of cWGTS to capture all clinically reported mutations with comparable sensitivity in a single workflow. Benchmarking identifies a minimum of 80× as optimal depth for clinical WGS sequencing. Integration of germline, somatic DNA and RNA-seq data enable data-driven variant prioritization and reporting, with oncogenic findings reported in 54% more patients than standard of care. These results establish key technical considerations for the implementation of cWGTS as an integrated test in clinical oncology. Cancer whole-genome and transcriptome sequencing (cWGTS) has been challenging to implement in clinical settings. Here, the authors develop a workflow to deliver robust cWGTS analyses and reports within clinically-relevant timeframes for paediatric, adolescent and young adult solid tumour patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) is a novel kagome superconductor coexisting with the charge density wave (CDW) order. Identifying the structure of the CDW order is crucial for understanding the exotic normal state and superconductivity in this system. Here, we report 51V nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and 121/123Sb nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) studies on kagome-metal CsV3Sb5. Below the CDW transition temperature TCDW ~ 98 K, an abrupt change of spectra was observed, indicating that the transition is of the first order. By further analyzing the spectra, we find that the CDW order is commensurate. And most remarkably, the obtained experimental results suggest that the charge modulation of the CDW order is of star-of-David pattern and accompanied by an additional charge modulation in bulk below T* ~ 40 K. Our results revealing the unconventional CDW order provide new insights into AV3Sb5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most origamis are composed of triangular and quadrilateral facets. Since creases are practically straight, facets can be modelled as 3-node triangles (T3) and 4-node quadrilaterals (Q4) with translational nodal dofs only. While bending is not possible in T3, a corotational consideration is employed to quantify the bending deformation in Q4 under large displacement/rotation but small strain/curvature. The pertinent tangential stiffness matrix turns out to be a simple constant matrix. Meanwhile, the fold angle of the crease is computed by the dot product of two vectors connecting the crease and nodes defining the adjacent facets. Derivatives of the fold angle are considerably simplified by invoking the small strain/curvature behaviour of the facet. To manoeuver the origami from its initial to final configuration, rest angles defining the zero energy states of the creases are changed to their target values incrementally. The proposed methods of quantifying the bending deformation in Q4 and the derivative of the fold angle are implemented in a commercial software using two user-defined element subroutines. They together with the built-in 3D membrane elements realize the simulation and analysis of origami in a finite element environment. Furthermore, the element for modelling the crease is equally applicable to modelling spring-loaded hinges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Size effect plays a major role in miniaturized thermoelectric devices. In this paper, a nonlinear contact model of a thermoelectric strip is established to reveal the thickness size effect. For the multi-field problem, the singular integral equations in terms of the normal electric current density, normal energy flux, and contact pressure are obtained and solved numerically with the collocation methods. The resulting integral equation for contact pressure indicates that the thermoelectric effects jointly with the thickness size effect make the problem rather complicated. Numerical results show the thickness size effects on the distribution of the normal electric current density, normal energy flux, contact pressure as well as their respective intensity factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of determining the dynamic response of a granular elastic half-space soil medium to a rectangular load moving on its surface is determined analytically. The granular material is modeled as a gradient elastic solid with two material constants in addition to the two classical elastic moduli. These material constants with dimensions of length are the micro-stiffness g and the micro-inertia h coefficients. The rectangular load is uniformly distributed of constant magnitude and moves with constant speed. The resulting three partial differential equations of motion are of the fourth order with respect to the horizontal x, y, and vertical z coordinates and of second order with respect to time t. These equations are solved with the aid of double complex Fourier series involving x, y, t, and the load velocity, which reduce them to a system of three ordinary differential equations of the fourth order with respect to z, which can be easily solved. Use of appropriate classical and non-classical boundary conditions can lead to the solution of the problem. The so obtained solution is used to easily assess by parametric studies the effects of the microstructural parameters g and h as well as the moving load velocity on the various response quantities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fractures in frozen soils are strongly associated with thermal gradient–dependent heterogeneity and significantly affect frost heaving and thaw subsidence in permafrost by altering the soil structure and the moisture migration path. An experimental study was conducted to investigate the quantitative relationship between fracture behavior and stress-induced heterogeneity of frozen soils with a thermal gradient. A series of visualization-aided unconfined compression tests on frozen soil columns with a thermal gradient under various water contents and temperatures was performed. The results indicated that the influences of water content and temperature on the observed fracture can be unified into an heterogeneity level. An increase in the heterogeneity level weakened the peak strength and enhanced the volumetric dilation of the frozen samples. The strain localization zone was the main location for fracture initiation and development, and its range accounted for over 70% of the fracture. The height of the fracture reduced with stress-induced heterogeneity level increased, while its reducing rate was over 2 times more than that of the maximum lateral deformation and strain localization zone. A mean asymmetry coefficient over 1.2 in the heterogeneity level observed at the two sides of the frozen specimens was attributed to the occurrence and change in location of the shear fracture. These observations and findings have significant importance for development of a fracture model that incorporates the influences of stress-induced heterogeneity in frozen soils with a thermal gradient to improve the mathematical formulations on frost heave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for healthy old-age care is growing rapidly in China. The traditional old-age care model can no longer meet elderly patients' demands for medical care and old-age care. To promote the development of medical care-integrated old-age care, a solution covering multiple aspects is necessary. In the context of the global development of healthy aging, China recently issued many policies to integrate old-age care with medical care, establishing protection for a large number of disabled elderly people. The Integrated Care of Older People (ICOPE) project is an international program developed by the World Health Organization. This paper reviews China's medical and old-age care integration model and the opportunities and challenges in implementing the ICOPE in the context of healthy aging in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to confirm whether near-infrared spectroscopy could be used to discriminate the infected silkworm chrysalises. A total of 105 silkworm chrysalises — 65 infected and 40 uninfected — were collected at Beijing Shoucheng Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. Near-infrared spectra were acquired at the head, chest, abdomen, and posterior belly of each silkworm chrysalis (both uninfected and infected). Three spectral pre-processing methods and four discrimination models were used to identify the uninfected and infected silkworm chrysalises. Results indicated that the PLS–DA model based on the spectra processed by multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) had the best discrimination performance (the prediction accuracy of calibration set and prediction set were 100 and 97.5%, respectively), and the head portion was the best position for the discrimination of uninfected and infected silkworm chrysalises. The overall conclusion was that the uninfected and infected silkworm chrysalises could be successfully identified by using near-infrared spectroscopy technology in the cultivation of Cordyceps militaris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the design and preparation of the electrically assisted drawing die, the electric-assisted deep-drawn tests were carried out on high-strength steel plates with different strengths to study the electroplastic effect on high-strength steel drawing. The temperature distribution, macro-morphology, and hardness variation of deep-drawing workpieces undergone different electrical parameters were analyzed. The results showed that the Joule heat generated by the electrically assisted drawing die on the sample was symmetrically distributed along the center of the circular sheet, and the electrical pulse heat effect had little effect on the temperature rise of sheets (same material) with different strength levels. The introduction of pulse current could improve the forming performance of high-strength steel to a certain extent, as well as enhance its deep-drawing deformation ability. The hardness of the work-piece increased after it was deep-drawn. The Joule heat generated by the pulse current did not cause changes in the microstructure of the high-strength steel. The electroplastic effect improved the mechanical properties of the work-piece while increasing the formability of the high-strength steel plates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are widely utilized in precision agriculture, such as tree plantations. Due to limited intelligence, these UAVs can only operate at high altitudes, leading to the use of expensive and heavy sensors for obtaining important health information of the plants. To fly at low altitudes, these UAVs must possess the capability of obstacle avoidance to prevent crashes. However, most current obstacle avoidance systems with active sensors are not applicable to small aerial vehicles due to the cost, weight, and power consumption constraints. To this end, this paper presents a novel approach to the autonomous navigation of a small UAV in tree plantations only using a single camera. As the monocular vision does not provide depth information, a machine learning model, Faster Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Faster R-CNN), was trained for the tree trunk detection. A control strategy was implemented to avoid the collision with trees. The detection model uses image heights of detected trees to indicate their distances from the UAV and image widths between trees to find the widest obstacle-free space. The control strategy allows the UAV to navigate until any approaching obstacle is detected and to turn to the safest area before continuing its flight. This paper demonstrates the feasibility and performance of the proposed algorithms by carrying out 11 flight tests in real tree plantation environments at two different locations, one of which is a new place. All the successful results indicate that the proposed method is accurate and robust for autonomous navigation in tree plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fast triple-parameter extremum seeking method is applied for jet control based on the pioneering work of Gelbert et al. (J Process Control 22(4):700, 2012). The simultaneous adaptation of three input parameters takes less time than the single-input adaptation of each parameter combined. The key enablers are phase-shifted sinusoids for the input each of which is evaluated by an extended Kalman filter (EKF). An acceleration of the adaption is obtained by a combined EKF coupling the output to all inputs. The method is illustrated for an analytical optimization problem and experimentally demonstrated for a turbulent jet mixing control. The considered Reynolds numbers Re D based on the jet exit diameter and velocity are 5700, 8000 and 13,300. The main jet is manipulated by a pulsed radially injected minijet which is varied by a mass flow controller and an electromagnetic valve up to high frequencies. The mixing performance is characterized by the centerline jet decay rate and monitored by a hot-wire sensor five diameters downstream at the end of the potential core. The proposed triple-parameter extremum seeking method optimizes the actuation mass flow ratio, frequency and duty cycle. The decay rate increases 11-fold from the unforced reference value of 0.05 to the optimal actuation level of 0.56. The reproducibility is demonstrated with various initial actuation parameters. Moreover, the adaptive control robustly tracks the optimal open-loop actuation for varying Re D ; the optimal decay rate remains unchanged given the mass flow rate, frequency and duty cycle are optimized. The unforced and actuated flow are investigated with hot wires and visualizations. The three-input ES significantly outperforms a two-parameter optimization for the same configuration in multiple respects (Wu et al. in AIAA J 56(4):1463, 2018): First, the jet decay rate is 8 % faster. Second, the convergence time for three parameters is only 25 % of the adaptation period of two parameters when Re D is varied. Finally, the current steady-state error is 45 % less than that of the two-parameter optimization. We expect the proposed triple-parameter extremum seeking to be applicable for a large range of flow control experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium-magnesium-alumina-silicate (CMAS) corrosion has been regarded as the most important factor that leads to the degradation of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). The failure mechanism of TBCs attacked by CMAS corrosion in the actual service conditions is still not clear due to the lack of an environmental simulator and nondestructive testing techniques. To solve the above problems, a real-time acoustic emission method combined with infrared thermography are developed to investigate the failure mechanism of TBCs attacked by CMAS corrosion. The results show that the acoustic emission signal spectrum only depends on the failure mode of the TBCs, and five failure modes are identified: surface vertical cracks, sliding interfacial cracks, opening interfacial cracks, substrate deformation and noise. The lifetime of TBCs attacked by CMAS corrosion is 40 thermal shock cycles, which is nearly six times lower than that of TBCs without CMAS corrosion (350 cycles). Conclusions: The failure mechanism of the former is interlaminar cracking and delamination in the ceramic coating; while that for the latter is interfacial delamination in the vicinity of thermal growth oxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissimilar pulsed laser welding of 400-μm NiTi and Cu wires was used to investigate the effect of laser positioning on NiTi-Cu joint performance. Laser positioning was found to have a significant role in the microstructure due to the difference in mixing patterns and composition distributions. Homogenous element distribution was observed in both the NiTi offset and the centerline joints, while complex mixing patterns were observed in the Cu offset joints. Changing the laser position resulted in a change in alloy content in the weld pool that affected the mixing patterns, and the phases that were formed in the weld zone of each sample. By moving the laser beam from NiTi toward Cu, NiTi and NiTiCu in the weld zone were replaced by pure Cu which resulted in a decreased average hardness from ~ 512 to ~ 158 HV. However, high hardness values were found inside the weld zone of Cu offset welds due to the presence of hard and brittle ternary intermetallic compounds. The 100-μm Cu offset joint displayed the worst mechanical response due to its inhomogeneous microstructure and the presence of cracks and pores. It was shown that positioning the laser beam on the NiTi or on the centerline resulted in a better transition in microstructure that led to acceptable mechanical properties without optimizing laser parameters or inserting any interlayers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: A power generator based on carbon nanoparticles and TiO2 nanowires was fabricated by sequential electrophoretic deposition. Benefit from the special structure of the carbon nanoparticle films, the generator exhibited an fast and reliable response to liquids. A possible system for printed circuit board protection using an array of power generators was proposed. With the increase in the use of electronic devices in many different environments, a need has arisen for an easily implemented method for the rapid, sensitive detection of liquids in the vicinity of electronic components. In this work, a high-performance power generator that combines carbon nanoparticles and TiO2 nanowires has been fabricated by sequential electrophoretic deposition (EPD). The open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current of a single generator are found to exceed 0.7 V and 100 μA when 6 μL of water was applied. The generator is also found to have a stable and reproducible response to other liquids. An output voltage of 0.3 V was obtained after 244, 876, 931, and 184 μs, on exposure of the generator to 6 μL of water, ethanol, acetone, and methanol, respectively. The fast response time and high sensitivity to liquids show that the device has great potential for the detection of small quantities of liquid. In addition, the simple easily implemented sequential EPD method ensures the high mechanical strength of the device. This compact, reliable device provides a new method for the sensitive, rapid detection of extraneous liquids before they can impact the performance of electronic circuits, particularly those on printed circuit board. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bonding a large-area die by Ag nanoparticle paste sintering faces a lot of challenges, and the voids/cracks caused by residual organics of the paste are some of the obstacles. The organic burnt out during the sintering process and degassing of the residue organics during service cause significant concerns. In this study, organic-free Ag nanoparticle material has been developed by pulsed laser deposition technology. Oweing to being organic-free, no void, crack and delamination were observed in the sintered Ag layer of die-attachment, and the large-area die-attachment could be carried out by a simple sintering profile at low temperature. The die shear test indicated that the bonding strength was superior to the standard. Porosity and densification of the sintered Ag layer could be controlled by sintering profiles, including the processing pressure, temperature and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of determining the steady-state dynamic response of a granular elastic half-plane to a load moving on its surface is solved analytically. The granular material is modeled as a gradient elastic solid with one material constant with length dimensions in addition to the two classical elastic moduli. The load is uniformly distributed of constant magnitude and moves with constant speed. The resulting two partial differential equations of motion are of the sixth order with respect to the horizontal x and vertical y coordinates and of the second order with respect to time t. These equations are solved with the aid of complex Fourier series involving x and t, which reduce them to a system of two ordinary differential equations, which can be easily solved. The so-obtained solution is used to easily assess the microstructural effect on the various response quantities through parametric studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wall-normal velocity derivative of ∂u/∂y is measured in a turbulent boundary layer, down to 2 wall units from the wall, using two parallel hot-wires. The momentum-thickness- and friction-velocity-based Reynolds numbers are 1450 and 584, respectively. The experimental results indicate that ∂u/∂y may be captured with an adequate accuracy given a separation (∆y) of 2 ~ 5 Kolmogorov length scales η between the two parallel hot-wires, slightly different from that (2η ~ 4η) required for a turbulent channel flow. The surrogate ∆ u / ∆ y 2 ¯ for ∂ u / ∂ y 2 ¯ displays a significant departure in the buffer layer from that in the turbulent channel flow, due to a difference in the large-scale coherent structures between the two flows. The skewness and kurtosis of ∂u/∂y differ markedly from their counterparts in a turbulent channel flow, which reflects a difference in the small-scale turbulent structures of the outer region between the two flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-Ag sintering technology is a promising die attach method for power semiconductors in high reliability and high temperature (i.e. 300°C) applications. However, the present predictive models for thermal conductivity of multiphase materials are not suitable for the porous sintered Ag due to the model limitations of low porosity, i.e. < 10%, and simple pore geometry (sphere or ellipsoid). In this paper, an extension differential scheme (EDS) model based on the classical differential scheme (DS) approach has been developed. The thermal conductivity of the microporous Ag die attach layer on a SiC device was developed by measuring seven different sintering parameters that are fitted with the model. The finite element method (FEM) was also employed to analyze the influence of different factors. The results indicate that the EDS model has better adaptability and accuracy, which will be important for implementation of this new die attach material and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ag or Cu metal nanoparticle paste can be used as a bonding material for electronic packaging applications. However, Ag nanoparticle paste has some drawbacks including high cost and being prone to ion migration in high-humidity conditions. The main obstacle to using Cu nanoparticle paste is rapid oxidation in air during heating. In this work, we describe a method to prepare Ag-Cu alloy nanoparticle paste by a polyol chemical reduction method combined with subsequent concentration. Characterization with ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry confirm the formation of the Ag-Cu alloy structure. During the synthesis of Ag-Cu alloy nanoparticles, an Ag core forms initially, followed by codeposition of Ag and Cu. Most of the Ag-Cu alloy nanoparticles have a truncated octahedral shape with twin structures located at the edges. This Ag-Cu alloy nanoparticle paste has a good oxidation resistance up to 350°C in air atmosphere. Using the Ag-Cu alloy nanoparticle paste, joints were formed at a low sinter-bonding temperature of 160°C. Shearing tests confirm the formation of robust joints, with an average shear strength of 50 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy rainfall is a key cause of shallow landslides in red-bed terrains with steep topography and residual soils of degradable strength. In this study, laboratory model tests were carried out to examine the characteristics of rainfall infiltration, deformation, and failures of slopes in the red-bed area of Sichuan. The hydrological response and deformation of the slope soil during rainfall are addressed. Based on a modified Green-Ampt infiltration model, ponding along the bedrock surface is incorporated. A physically based model for shallow landslides caused by rainfall is developed. The theoretical analysis and the model test results indicate that the slope failures are related to erosion in the shallow soil layer and rainwater infiltration, particularly along preferential seepage channels. The process of rainfall-induced shallow landslides can be separated into three stages: erosion at the slope toe, tension crack formation at the slope crest, and shallow sliding. When initial underground water level is located at the bedrock surface or the preferential seepage flow quickly reaches the bedrock surface, it is easier for the soil slopes to slide along the bedrock surface than along the wetting front. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electro-spark deposition (ESD) is a pulsed microwelding process that is used to apply surface coatings for the repair of damaged high value and precision products or modify their surfaces for specific properties. The low heat input, minimal heat-affected zone and the ability to form metallurgical bonding of coating to substrate are major advantages of the ESD process. Many applications require the components to have excellent surface performance, such as wear and corrosion resistance. ESD technique provides an approach to modify the component surface without compromising the bulk properties. In this study, surface modifications of 304 stainless steel by ESD were investigated. Titanium carbide (TiC), tungsten carbide (WC) and molybdenum (Mo) were employed as coating materials. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis were conducted to characterize the microstructure and composition of the coatings. The coatings thicknesses were all around 40 µm. The results showed that TiC and WC coatings showed a dramatic increase in the microhardness, up to 5 times. WC coating improved the wear resistance by more than 5 times, while TiC and Mo coatings also improved it by approximately 2.5 times. Electro-chemical tests were conducted to investigate the corrosion resistance of the coatings. Mo coating exhibited a significant improvement in the corrosion resistance in 5% NaCl solutions, corroding 350 times slower than stainless steel. Synchrotron x-ray diffraction was performed to investigate the microstructure changes of the Mo-coated sample. Heat treatment was also carried out to investigate the corrosion behavior of Mo-coated 304 stainless steel at elevated service temperature in air or argon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key to improve the strength of Al/steel dissimilar joint is to toughen the hard and brittle interfacial intermetallics. Introducing soft and tough dispersions into the interfacial intermetallics would be a promising method. In the present study, Zn-Al alloy (Zn-22Al) was used as the filler metal to generate dispersions in the interfacial intermetallics matrix of dissimilar laser Al/steel joint. The results have shown that soft and tough dispersions, i.e., FeZn10, Al-rich amorphous phase, and Zn solid solution, were successfully introduced into the hard and brittle Fe2Al5−xZnx matrix. The formation of these dispersions was resulted from diffusion of elements Fe and Al and infiltration of liquid Zn along the grain boundaries of Fe2Al5−xZnx matrix and the subsequent chemical reaction and solidification. With this kind of interfacial microstructure, the joint exhibited a stable peak fracture load of 1200 N even though the interfacial layer thickness increased from 20 to 45 μm. This was because the interfacial layer was toughened by the soft and tough dispersions. Using this example, introduction of soft and tough dispersions into hard and brittle intermetallics matrix to toughen interfacial layer and then strengthening of dissimilar joints will be highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental identification of contact stress is important in many areas. In this paper, we present an inverse method for identifying the stress distribution on non-conforming contact interface based on local displacement measurements. A mechanical model is established to formulate the relationship between the contact stress and the displacement field near the interface. An optical method, named segmentation-aided digital image correlation is utilized to measure the near-field displacement. The contact stress is then inversed by finding the optimal model that best matches the measurements. Three model parameters, i.e., the contact center, contact length and maximum contact stress, are identified through an optimization procedure. The parameters are initialized by an image processing method and then iteratively refined by minimizing the discrepancy between the model predictions and the measured displacements. Both simulated and real-world experiments are conducted and the results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to understand the changes associated with the near-wall streaky structures in a turbulent boundary layer (TBL) where the local skin-friction drag is substantially reduced. The Reynolds number is Re휃 = 1000 based on the momentum thickness or Reτ = 440 based on the friction velocity of the uncontrolled flow. The TBL is perturbed via a local surface oscillation produced by an array of spanwise-aligned piezo-ceramic (PZT) actuators and measurements are made in two orthogonal planes using particle image velocimetry (PIV). Data analyses are conducted using the vortex detection, streaky structure identification, spatial correlation and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) techniques. It is found that the streaky structures are greatly modified in the near-wall region. Firstly, the near-wall streamwise vortices are increased in number and swirling strength but decreased in size, and are associated with greatly altered velocity correlations. Secondly, the velocity streaks grow in number and strength but contract in width and spacing, exhibiting a regular spatial arrangement. Other aspects of the streaky structures are also characterized; they include the spanwise gradient of the longitudinal fluctuating velocity and both streamwise and spanwise integral length scales. The POD analysis indicates that the turbulent kinetic energy of the streaky structures is reduced. When possible, our results are compared with those obtained by other control techniques such as a spanwise-wall oscillation, a spanwise oscillatory Lorentz force and a transverse traveling wave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically assesses the recent trends in aluminum-magnesium dissimilar welding and suggests a key design guideline to successfully improve the weld joint quality through addition of interlayer. First, the paper describes the main issue of incompatibility between these metals and considers the root cause of the problem, i.e., the Al-Mg-based intermetallic compounds (IMCs). It then reviews the recent trends of interlayer addition in various welding processes to mitigate Al-Mg IMCs. Focusing on laser welding, the paper finally proposes a 3-step design guideline in Al-Mg dissimilar welding through addition of an interlayer and presents a case study of using pure Ni foil as a proof of concept. The design guideline has shown to be an effective means to predict and prevent the formation of deleterious intermetallics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In England, 'fast-track' (also known as 'two-week wait') general practitioner referrals for suspected cancer in symptomatic patients are used to shorten diagnostic intervals and are supported by clinical guidelines. However, the use of the fast-track pathway may vary for different patient groups.Methods: We examined data from 669 220 patients with 35 cancers diagnosed in 2006-2010 following either fast-track or 'routine' primary-to-secondary care referrals using 'Routes to Diagnosis' data. We estimated the proportion of fast-track referrals by sociodemographic characteristic and cancer site and used logistic regression to estimate respective crude and adjusted odds ratios. We additionally explored whether sociodemographic associations varied by cancer.Results: There were large variations in the odds of fast-track referral by cancer (P<0.001). Patients with testicular and breast cancer were most likely to have been diagnosed after a fast-track referral (adjusted odds ratios 2.73 and 2.35, respectively, using rectal cancer as reference); whereas patients with brain cancer and leukaemias least likely (adjusted odds ratios 0.05 and 0.09, respectively, for brain cancer and acute myeloid leukaemia). There were sex, age and deprivation differences in the odds of fast-track referral (P<0.013) that varied in their size and direction for patients with different cancers (P<0.001). For example, fast-track referrals were least likely in younger women with endometrial cancer and in older men with testicular cancer.Conclusions: Fast-track referrals are less likely for cancers characterised by nonspecific presenting symptoms and patients belonging to low cancer incidence demographic groups. Interventions beyond clinical guidelines for 'alarm' symptoms are needed to improve diagnostic timeliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Aging is associated with glucose and lipid metabolism disorder. We aimed to examine the effects of mussel peptides on protecting against aging by regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. Methods: For the aging model, d-galactose (200 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously to 8-month-old mice for 8 weeks. Mussel peptides (1,000 mg/kg) were simultaneously administered by intragastric gavage. The glucose and lipid metabolism profiles, aging phenotype and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) expression in the liver and adipose tissue of ICR mice were measured. Results: D-galactose-treated mice showed pronounced fat deposition and impaired glucose and lipid homeostasis, along with increased oxidative damage and aging. Mussel peptides improved metabolic status by reducing serum glucose and triglyceride levels, insulin resistance and hepatic free fatty acid, as well as enhancing serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level and hepatic glycogen content, accompanied with amelioration of aging phenotype and fat deposition. Moreover, mussel peptides ameliorated oxidative stress in aged liver tissues and promoted expression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptors alpha (PPARα) and gamma (PPARγ) in liver and adipose tissues. Conclusions: These results indicate that mussel peptides protect against lipid metabolic disorders associated with aging via maintaining oxidative stress homeostasis and elevated expression levels of PPARs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inexpensive cost and high manufacture efficient metal wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) system was designed in this work. Its application potential was evaluated from the three aspects of formability, microstructures, and mechanical properties. By using compulsory cooling solution implemented in the open-source WAAM system, the complex-shaped metal parts were deposited completely with no obvious defects, such as cracks, pores, or incomplete fusion. The properties of the WAAM part were evaluated by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), microhardness, and microtensile test. The results indicate that the formability of metal parts fabricated by the open-source WAAM system was improved by using compulsory cooling solution. The microstructures of the WAAM part are exhibited as granular structure which consisted of the granular ferrite and the residual austenite interspersed with a little pearlite in the intermediate zone. And the average ferrite grain size of non-overlapping layer is relatively smaller than that of overlapping layer. The specimen perpendicular to the building direction exhibits a better mechanical property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanotags as an ultrasensitive nanoprobe is becoming popular for the detection of biomarkers. Herein, antibody-conjugated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used to target LMP2A in an LMP2A-infected CNE2 cell line. SERS maps showed that the LMP2A was distributed around the cell, which was consistent with the results of immunofl uorescence staining in the previous report. This location could be due to the specific binding of the bioconjugated nanotags to the receptors on the cell surface. However, the CNE2 cell line without LMP2A-infected showed no detectable signal at 1044 cm. The results demonstrated the potential feasibility of AuNPs nanotags as highly sensitive probes conjugated at the subcellular level for detection and localization of cancer markers in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since their discovery in 2004, high-entropy alloys (HEAs) have generated significant interest from the scientific community. Based on a multi-principal element design approach, HEAs are engineered to possess a unique random solid solution (RSS) crystalline structure, in which each of the constituent elements has an equal probability of occupying a given lattice site. Published literature reports that certain HEAs exhibit exceptional chemical, physical, mechanical and functional properties that are attributed to the presence of a RSS phase. Not surprisingly, research on HEAs has begun to expand at an accelerated rate. The scientific and engineering topics being studied include: experimentally measuring various properties in HEA systems, understanding the effect of the RSS on these properties, and developing methods for predicting the formation of RSS phases. Accordingly, the goal of this brief review is to introduce the field of HEAs, discuss their core concepts, highlight exceptional properties, and discuss current design aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The controllable wire bonding of individual Ag nanowires onto a Au electrode was achieved at room temperature. The plastic deformation induced by pressure using nanoindentation could break the protective organic shell on the surface of the Ag nanowires and cause atomic contact to promote the diffusion and nanojoining at the Ag and Au interface. Severe slip bands were observed in the Ag nanowires after the deformation. A metallic bond was formed at the interface, with the Ag diffusing into the Au more than the Au diffused into the Ag. This nanoscale wire bonding might present opportunities for nanoscale packaging and nanodevice design. Graphical Abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with some existence and Ulam-Hyers-Rassias stability results for a class of functional differential equations involving the Hilfer-Hadamard fractional derivative. An application is made of a Schauder fixed point theorem for the existence of solutions. Next we prove that our problem is generalized Ulam-Hyers-Rassias stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]