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A hole in the center of the aluminum (Al) alloy was processed to compensate for the mechanical properties of resistance welded joints of the carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin matrix (CF/Epoxy) laminate and Al alloy for solving the problem of poor bonding quality in the center of the joint due to uneven temperature distribution in the resistance welding process. The resistance welded lap configuration of the upper Al and the lower laminate was employed, and through holes with a different diameter (dh) were prefabricated on the upper Al alloy plates. The molten polyetherimide (PEI) resin was bonded to the surfaces of the samples on both sides under the action of Joule heat, and the excess PEI resin filled the prefabricated through-hole of the Al alloy plate under pressure and realized the jointing of the 6063Al alloy plate and the CF/Epoxy laminate. The micro-morphology of the welded interface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the heat distribution of the sample was simulated using COMSOL. The tensile shear force of the joint was tested, which rises with an increase of dh. The failure interface was analyzed in detail, which showed a strong correlation with dh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the effect of different graphene contents on the mechanical behaviour, tensile and flexural properties, and the electrochemical performance of cross-layered glass-reinforced aluminium (GLARE) laminates. Results show that the mechanical properties of GLARE with different graphene contents are similar but not identical. The mass fraction of graphene (0 wt.%–1.0 wt.%) is calculated from the total mass of adhesive. As the graphene content increases (0 wt.%–1.0 wt.%), flexural strength peaks in the presence of 0.5 wt.% graphene, but tensile strength continues to increase. When the graphene mass ratio is 1.0 wt.%, the maximum tensile strength is 245.45 MPa. When the graphene mass ratio is 0.5 wt.%, interlaminar shear strength and flexural strength are 19.06 and 260.22 MPa, respectively, which correspond to different span–thickness ratios of 8/1 and 32/1. This graphene mass ratio indicates the best three-point flexural performance of graphene-reinforced GLARE. This study further explains the enhancement mechanism through fracture surface observation. Graphene with a mass ratio of 0.5 wt.% maximises the flexural strength whilst maintaining a strong GLARE electrochemical performance. At scanning speeds of 40, 80, and 100 mV/s, the specific capacitance values are 1.76, 2.47, and 2.88 F/g, respectively. According to quantum tunnelling theory, graphene can form a conductive network when it is dispersed in a resin matrix. This theory reveals the reason why 0.5 wt.% graphene platelet-modified GLARE has good electrochemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A breakable model of ballast particle is developed by using the Discrete Element Method (DEM). A method of modelling the Under Sleeper Pad (USP) by using 'elastic rods' is proposed. After integrating the model of the sleeper, USP and ballast, the dynamic train load is applied to analyze the dynamic response of the ballast bed. The following results can be drawn: (1) The USP increases the contact area between the sleeper and ballast particles, and effectively reduces the contact stress. Comparing the track using USP to the traditional ballast track, maximum stress in ballast is reduced by 26.10%, and the average stress is reduced by 3.22%. (2) The breakage of ballast particles in the upper part the ballast bed of the traditional ballast track is mostly overall damage, while the breakage in the lower part mainly occurs at the sharp corners. Using the USP can mitigate the overall breakage at the upper part. (3) The USP can reduce both the tensile failure and shear failure of ballast breakage compared to the traditional ballast track. (4) When using the USP, the ballast settlement is faster to be stable and with a smaller value under long-term train loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total ionizing dose response of 22nm bulk silicon nFinFETs with different bias conditions is investigated using 60Co γ -rays. The experimental results show that constant voltage stress (CVS) has an important effect on the electrical parameters of the devices. After the CVS experiment, the threshold voltage of the device shifts positively and the on-state current decreases. The threshold voltage of devices irradiated under ON bias and ON bias after CVS shifts positively, and the ON bias device has shown large degradation. The threshold voltages of devices irradiated under ALL0 bias and TG bias shift negatively. The on-state current of the device increases with the accumulation of irradiation dose. There is no significant change in the subthreshold swing and 1 / f noise power spectrum of the device after irradiation, indicating that the irradiation produces fewer interface traps and border traps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and clinical efficacy of mini-laparoscopic pyeloplasty in treating ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) in infants. We retrospectively analysed the clinical data of 66 infants with UPJO from January 2013 to August 2018 at our hospital. They were divided into the laparoscopic surgery group (group A) and the open surgery group (group B), depending on the surgical method. The bleeding volume, analgesia duration, postoperative hospitalization duration, and incision length in group A were significantly less than those in group B (p <.05). The incidence of incision dehiscence was 0% in group A and 11.7% in group B (p =.045). At the postoperative follow-up, the incidence of anastomotic stenosis was 6.2% in group A and 5.9% in group B (p =.719). The anteroposterior diameter and glomerular filtration rate were significantly improved at the one-year follow-up, but there was no significant difference between the groups (p >.05). Mini-laparoscopic pyeloplasty to treat UPJO in infants has the same early clinical efficacy and safety as open surgery, and this procedure has the advantages of fewer incisions, less pain, quicker recovery, and better cosmetic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outstanding mechanical properties and high thermal conductivity epoxy composites are being developed and are becoming urgent in the electronic and aerospace industries. Boron nitride nanosheet (BN), a nanomaterial with high thermal conductivity, and its epoxy composite adhesive have high thermal conductivity. However, due to its characteristics, the mechanical properties of BN/epoxy will decrease when more BN is added. Therefore, this study graphene platelet and carbon nanotube are selected and packed epoxy/BN composite adhesives to develop adhesives with excellent mechanical properties and thermal conductivity at the same time. In this study, an enhancement effect between a graphene platelet (GnP) and a carbon nanotube (CNT) within an epoxy/BN composite is reported. In the three-phase composite adhesive, the 2 D graphene platelets and 1D carbon nanotubes form a global bearing force network, and the boron nitride nanosheets provide high heat conduction inside the epoxy. They both complement each other in developing thermal conductive and high mechanical energy epoxy composite adhesives. At filler ranging from 0 to 1.0 wt%, epoxy/BN-CNT can improve the fracture toughness (K1c), critical stress-energy release rate (G1c) and Young's modulus of pure epoxy, are 89, 484, and 67% compared to 52, 286, and 42% in epoxy/BN-GnP composites, respectively. When adding 5.0 wt% of BN-CNT, the epoxy composites' thermal conductivity is up to 0.8 W/m%K, 400% higher than pure epoxy. This article also tested the electrical conductivity of epoxy/BN-CNT and epoxy/BN-GnP composites and found that the electrical conductivity was increased by 12 and 10 orders of magnitude, respectively, and it could be used as an antistatic material. Investigating the enhanced mechanism of epoxy/BN/CNT and epoxy/BN/GnP composites by scanning electron microscopy analysis. Lap shear strength tests on epoxy composite adhesives confirm the reinforcement effect of GnP and CNT of epoxy/BN composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface of stainless-steel (SS) mesh was modified by growing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from ethanol flame. The CNT-modified SS mesh was then used as a heating element for the resistance welding of glass-fibre-reinforced polyetherimide (GF/PEI) laminates to improve the interfacial bond strength of SS wire and PEI resin. Interfacial microstructure, the mechanical properties of the welded joint and the effects of CNT growth time (tg) on the wettability of PEI resin solution to SS wire were investigated. The results indicate that the addition of CNTs increased wettability due to the capillary action of high-porosity CNT coating. The microstructure of the welded joints changed with tg, and the thickness of the welding implant layer decreased below tg = 10min, and the maximum single lap shear strength (SLSS) value of the welded joint was 39.2MPa when tg = 10min. The strengthening mechanism of CNTs and the failure modes of the welded joints were also elucidated in detail by the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) between SS wire, PEI resin and the fractography analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently resistance welding (RW) technique have emerged as a viable alternative method for the joining of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. It is more cost‐efficient as opposed to the conventional adhesive, mechanical and other joining methods. The objective of this paper is to provide a deeper insight into the recent development of the resistance welding technique for FRP composites. The main focus is set on the parameters that govern the welding process and the principal phenomena that affect the joints of the thermoplastic composite. The evaluation methods, the comprehensive failure modes, welding interface behavior and microscopic evaluation of interface are also looked at in detail. And this technology has been further extended to the connection of thermoset composites. In addition, several alternative fresh implants that involve micro-nano carbon materials and offer possibilities for future applications are systematically compared. Continuous resistance welding (CRW) is briefly introduced as one of the most promising methods in the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface of stainless steel (SS) mesh was modified by in-situ growing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from ethanol flame. Then the interfacial bond strength of SSM and polyetherimide (PEI) was improved by the CNTs-modified SSM, a heating element (HE) for the resistance welding of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy (CF/Epoxy) laminates. The effects of CNTs growth time (tg) on the wettability of PEI solution to SS mesh, interfacial microstructure, and mechanical properties of the welded joint were investigated. The results indicated that the addition of CNTs increased the wettability of PEI solution to SS mesh due to the capillary action of high porosity CNTs coating. The microstructure of the welded joints changed with tg. The maximum single lap shear strength (SLSS) value of the welded joint reached 24.7 MPa when tg = 10 min. The strengthening mechanism of CNTs and the failure modes of the welded joints were systematically analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antrodia camphorata is a rare and precious traditional food and medicine for improving health-related conditions in Taiwan. The phytochemical research of the mushroom led to the isolation of a new naphthalenecarboxaldehyde, named as 1-Naphthalenecarboxaldehyde,3,4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro-2-(hydroxymethyl)-5,5,8a–trimethyl (1). Meanwhile, seven other known compounds of nerolidol (2), cadinol (3), herbarulide (4), 3β-Hydroxy-5a,8a-epidioxyergosta-6,22-diene (5), ergosta-7,22-diene-3,6-dione (6) 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-p-benzoquinone (7) and β-sitosterol (8) were also obtained from A. camphorata for the first time except compound (8). The new compound was elucidated by 2D NMR techniques (COSY, HMBC, HSQC, NOESY) and HRMS while those known compounds deduced by comparing 1H NMR and 13C NMR data with other literatures. Then, the hepG2 cell toxicity screening was conducted and the results demonstrated that only compound 7 and 8 exhibited significant toxicity to hepG2 cell at the concentration of 50 μg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the clinical results of sustainedly integrating imatinib and interferon-α into maintenance therapy in the patients ineligible for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Maintenance therapy lasted for 5 years with imatinib 400 mg daily, interferon-α 3 million units, 2∼3 doses per week, and chemotherapy including vindesine and dexamethasone scheduled monthly in first year, once every 2 months in second year, and once every 3 months in third year. The chemotherapy was discontinued after 3 years and the imatinib and interferon-α continued for another 2 years. For 41 patients without allo-HSCT with a median follow-up of 32 months, the 3-year DFS and OS were 42.7  ± 8.6% and 57.9  ± 8.4%, respectively. Our study suggests that sustaining maintenance with low-dose chemotherapy, imatinib and interferon-α improved survival of adult Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph + ALL) patients ineligible for allo-HSCT, and even provided an opportunity for cure. BCR/ABL persistent negativity at 6 and 9 months may have benefit to choose suitable patients for the imatinib/interferon-α maintenance strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial genome of Dryopteris crassirhizoma was sequenced for the first time. The mitochondrial genome length was 313,346 bp, with 48.58% GC contents. There were 94 genes annotated, including 27 known protein-coding genes, 49 tRNAs, and 18 rRNAs. The maximum likelihood method was used to establish the phylogenetic tree of six species. The phylogenetic results showed that D. crassirhizoma was sister to Ophioglossum californicum. It reveals the genetic relationship between different species and provides a theoretical basis for the establishment of a classification system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a linear cationic neuropeptide composed of 28 amino acids. It belongs to the glucagon/secretin family. The biological functions of VIP are relatively broad, but it has not been well studied in the field of pharmaceutics. Especially in the selection of the way of VIP administration and the pharmaceutical formulation, the theory basis was deficient appreciably. Objective: To provide the theory basis for the pharmaceutical development of VIP, the chemical and biological stability of VIP was studied. Materials and methods: The stability of VIP in different pH values, ionic strength, temperature, artificial gastric fluid and artificial intestinal fluid was investigated, and the concentration of VIP was calculated by HPLC method. Results: The stability of VIP was pH-dependent. VIP was stable in acid and neutral solution, and almost didn't degrade during pH ≤ 7 solution. However, it was instability in basic solution and degraded completely at 30 min in pH 13 solution. Ionic strength did not affect its stability. VIP was stable in freezing conditions but it degraded at low concentration in cold storage. Furthermore, VIP degraded so quickly in artificial gastric fluid and artificial intestinal fluid that it can't be detected at 0 min. Discussion and conclusion: the chemical and biological characteristic of VIP was unstable, so it isn't suitable for oral administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated on people's two-stage iterative trust building process (the initial trust stage and the iteration from feedback stage) with AI partners, and made comparisons with human partners in the aspects of investment behavior, emotional arousal and neuro activities. The experiment was designed using repeated trust games and the investment amount was transformed into the initial trust, the feedback from the partner and the final trust. Comparisons of behavior were conducted by regression analysis. The results showed that the initial trust for AI had stronger influence on the final trust than human partners, while the feedback from human during interaction had stronger influence than the feedback from AI. By emotion scales, it was found that the arousal of participants' positive emotions was more significant when interacting with human than with AI, and the emotional arousal (both positive and negative ones) had stronger correlation with the feedback from human than from AI.. The findings indicated a stronger influence of feedback from human partners on decision making and emotional arousal than from AI partners. The fNIRS results also showed that people's neuro activities in the PFC were stronger when making investment decisions towards human than AI partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractFibre reinforced metal laminates (FMLs) are widely used in various fields due to their excellent properties. However, the weak interlayer properties of FMLs limit their applications. In this paper, the interlayer properties of FMLs are enhanced by anodising the 2024-T3 aluminium alloy layer in FMLs or by epoxy matrix modification of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). The effect of both synergistic impacts on the interlayer properties of most FMLs is investigated. The FMLs were manufactured using the wet lay-up technique using 2024-T3 aluminium alloy, E51 epoxy and EW100 glass fibre. The results showed that the type I fracture toughness, tensile strength, flexural strength, interlayer shear strength and single layer shear strength of FMLs after anodic oxidation treatment were increased by 406.4%, 10.3%, 18.3%, 42.6% and 28.3%, respectively, compared with those of pure FMLs. The type I fracture toughness, tensile strength, flexural strength, interlayer shear strength and single layer shear strength of the GNPs-modified FMLs matrix were increased by 280.4%, 3.7%, 6.8%, 34.5% and 19.1%, respectively, compared with those of pure FMLs. Moreover, the synergistic effect of FMLs indicates that the simultaneous anodic oxidation and GNPs modification of FMLs can lead to the best mechanical properties of FMLs. Microscopic images and schematics illustrate the toughening mechanism of anodising and GNPs, including the enhancement of aluminium/resin interface and fibre/resin interface and the enhancement of resin matrix properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to interpret the effect of magnetic field on water pH and calcium form, and evaluate semen quality, fertility and hatchability rates of Fayoumi chickens receiving magnetized drinking water (MDW). A total of 180 Fayoumi chickens (20 roosters + 160 hens), 54 weeks of age, were divided into two groups. The first group served as control, which received regular drinking water, and the second group was treated with MDW. Semen was collected twice (at day 15 and day 30 of the experiment) to determine semen quality. Fertility and hatchability were determined in two patches of hatching eggs through 1–15 and 16–30 days of the experiment. Results showed that the roosters of MDW group had higher live sperm and sperm motility ratios than those of the control group throughout the experimental period (1–30 days). The abnormal sperm ratio and methylene blue reaction time of MDW-received roosters were significantly lower than those of control roosters. Fertility and hatchability percentages of MDW group were greater compared to those of regular drinking water. Conclusively, alterations in the physiochemical characteristics of MDW and the calcium form can play a role in improving semen quality, fertility, and hatchability percentages during the late laying phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns an event-triggered control for uncertain linear systems with process time-varying delays. An adaptive event trigger (AET) is employed for reducing the data transmission amount from the sensor to the controller. Because a positive constant and a positive variable are simultaneously involved in the AET, the AET condition may be difficult to be violated and the data transmission amount may be reduced. A discrete-time feedback control law is employed to guarantee the uniformly ultimately bounded (UUB) of the closed-loop systems. If the gain matrix of the time-delayed state is compromised with the sufficient stability condition, the desired stability can be always achieved regardless of the time-varying delays. In addition, the bound region can be specified by regulating the threshold of the AET. It is proved that the unwanted Zeno phenomena is naturally excluded since the minimal event-triggered time-interval of the AET is a positive real number. Furthermore, the maximal event-triggered time interval can also be quantitatively approximated. A numerical example is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and the influences of the AET threshold and time delay are discussed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The engineering purpose of designing resistant structures in seismic areas goes through the modeling of the earthquake ground motion. To design complex earthquake-resistant structures, above all if the structural non-linearities must be considered, dynamic analysis of the response of the structure is highly recommended instead of the response spectrum analysis. Therefore, the need to generate artificial accelerograms for structural design arises. This paper proposes a stochastic procedure that, based on the seismological point-source model, allows to generate artificial accelerograms. Therefore, the artificial accelerogram generated incorporates the "source," "path" and "site" characteristics. For each term of the seismological model, a corresponding best approximating filter transfer function has been given. Therefore, a new quadruple-filter system has been derived. The proposed approach is used to generate various earthquake records that occurred in Italy. The outcomes of the numerical examples demonstrate the suitability of the proposed study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, tourism academia has been increasingly characterised as working in a knowledge domain that is sociologically framed. To date, however, there has been no explicit consideration in the literature as to whether and how an academic's spiritual and/ or religious beliefs should influence their engagement with knowledge formation. Drawing on Barkathunnisha et al.'s article "Towards a spirituality-based platform in tourism higher education" published in Current Issues in Tourism that proposed the notion of the 7th platform of tourism knowledge based on spirituality and the underlying four pillars – a spirit of knowing; a spirit of doing; a spirit of being; and a spirit of becoming – this exploratory paper will seek to propose some preliminary thoughts on some of the challenges and opportunities that a belief in spirituality and religion might have for tourism academia. Drawing on autobiographical insights from the author's own Christian faith, the paper concludes by discussing issues that the tourism academy will have to face in order to find ways to bring such a spiritual/ religious perspective into the formulation of tourism knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the polynomial integral input-to-state stability in mean square (ms-PIISS) and polynomial (t + 1) ℵ -weighted integral input-to-state stability in mean square ( (t + 1) ℵ -weighted ms-PIISS) for pantograph stochastic systems. The above stability is achieved through dynamic event-triggered mechanism and static event-triggered mechanism. To avert Zeno behaviour in each sample path, our event-triggered mechanisms (ETMs) force a pause time after each successful execution, which will lead to intermittent detection of system status, thus greatly saving communication resources. One utilises the Hanalay-type inequality to obtain the less conservative stability criterion. In addition, a collaborative design method of ETM and linear controller is proposed. Ultimately, an paraphrastic example is shown to indicate the availability of the mentioned collaborative design process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hurdle technology was applied to lucuma fruit pulp by slight reduction of water activity (aW) and pH. The original aW (0.97) and pH (5.2) of the pulp were reduced to 0.92 and 0.90, and to 4.7 and 4.4, respectively. Growth of spoilage microorganisms (total viable count (TVC), yeasts, molds, coliforms, and Escherichia coli) was monitored during the 90-day refrigerated storage. The combined reduction of aW and pH of lucuma pulp kept TVC under control and caused a reduction of yeast population. However, individual reduction of aW or pH was not as effective on TVC and yeast. On the other hand, molds and coliforms were undetected after 60 and 90 days of storage in all lucuma samples, respectively. In conclusion, a microbiologically stable lucuma pulp, under refrigerated conditions, could be obtained by reducing its aW to at least 0.92, and simultaneously reducing its pH to at least 4.7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, state space of a time-homogeneous Markov process is split into several ordered subspaces. Then, there are three kinds of transitions between states—transitions from a higher-order subspace to a lower-order subspace, transitions within the same subspace, and transitions from a lower-order subspace to a higher-order subspace. Considering time interval omission problem and first passage time considered, we define some related counting processes for the Markov process and discuss their associated probabilities, expectations and generating functions by using Laplace transform. The main results are presented in matrix forms. The relationships among counting processes and their special cases are also discussed briefly. Some simple numerical examples are presented to illustrate the established results. These results will be useful in different problems arising in reliability, economics and social science fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different from the condition rating system for bridges, the criticality and vulnerability rating system for long-span suspension bridges is used to determine the time intervals for routine general inspection of key structural components of the bridge. In consideration of uncertainties involved in the current rating system for long-span suspension bridges, this study presents a cloud-based analytic hierarchical process (C-AHP) rating system to determine inspection intervals. A three-level hierarchical structure is first introduced in terms of criticality and vulnerability, and the relative weights for the hierarchical structure are determined by AHP. The Gaussian cloud model is then introduced to the AHP rating system to form a C-AHP rating system for long-span suspension bridges. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed C-AHP rating system are calibrated by using the Tsing Ma Bridge in Hong Kong as a case study. The case study results show that the proposed C-AHP rating system could take into consideration not only fuzziness but also randomness in the AHP rating system and provide stricter time intervals than the F-AHP rating system for routine general inspection of long-span suspension bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the equilibrium behavioral strategy for a defined contribution (DC) pension plan during the accumulation phase in this paper. We adopt a state-dependent function to describe the risk tolerance attitude of a mean-variance (MV) investor, which is a piecewise linear function of the current wealth level with the reference point being the discounted investment target. Meanwhile, the stochastic labor income is taken into account, whose risk sources arise from both financial and non-financial markets. The extended Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) system of equations for our problem is presented. Explicit expressions for the suboptimal equilibrium behavioral strategy and its corresponding equilibrium value function are obtained in the suboptimal sense by the stochastic control technique. We find that the suboptimal equilibrium behavioral strategy takes a piecewise linear feedback form of the current wealth level with respect to the discounted investment target, and it also depends on the current labor income. Finally, some numerical analyses are provided to illustrate the effects of model parameters on the suboptimal equilibrium behavioral strategy and the variance-expectation curve, which shed light on our theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After an earthquake, a track-bridge system may suffer damage and residual deformation, posing a threat for trains passing over a bridge. However, since railway transportation is an important channel for disaster relief, the timely passage of trains is of great significance for the transportation of materials and personnel. In the past, subjective and experience-based judgments were made on whether a train can pass over an earthquake-damaged bridge, and no relevant numerical calculations were carried out. Therefore, a strategy for the evaluation of train performance when passing over existing bridges after earthquakes was proposed. The strategy considers the randomness of track irregularity, and evaluates the running safety performance (RSP) and running comfort performance (RCP) of trains passing over existing bridges from the perspective of probability. The probability law of a lateral residual bridge deformation influence on the RSP and RCP after an earthquake was revealed. Finally, the maximum train passing speed which ensures the RSP was recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Natural Fibers is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Benzodiazepines are an important class of heterocyclic compounds in organic chemistry. They are known for their diverse physicochemical and biological properties. Some benzodiazepine derivates are well-known drugs with diverse and strong pharmacophoric moiety. An immense number of pharmacological research on benzodiazepine heterocycles and their derivatives have recently been conducted to explore its numerous pharmacological potentials as better therapeutic candidates for the treatment of various disorders, benzodiazepines, however, are one of the main sources of interest for many medicinal chemists. Researchers are drawn to the benzodiazepine nucleus for the synthesis of new drugs because of its potent pharmacophoric moiety and ring shape. Due to the emergence of new pathogenic strains' resistance to the presently available drugs, there has been a constant demand for more effective and selective drugs. Benzodiazepine moiety has all the desired qualities for selective drug candidates used as useful therapeutic agents. Given the importance of benzodiazepine moiety, the current review aims to assess benzodiazepine syntheses as well as their pharmacological properties for potential molecular targets in therapeutic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Natural Fibers is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper concerns to an event-triggered control for switching linear systems. For reducing the data transmission amount of the communication network from sensor to controller, a switching-mode independent dynamic event-trigger (DET) is constructed wherein a positive constant and a positive auxiliary variable are simultaneously involved. Based on the received discrete-time state measurements, a mode-dependent feedback control law is proposed. Given some prior activation probabilities of switching signal, an average dwell time (ADT) based controller designed method is presented. It is proved that the closed-loop system achieves Zeno-free mean square bounded exponentially stable (MSBES). Significantly, the minimal event-triggered interval can be accurately given while the maximal event-triggered interval can be approximated. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing is fundamental to the real economy. Given the central role of cost management in the manufacturing industry, we study the role of people in firms' cost management. We find that manufacturing background CEOs significantly decrease cost stickiness. The results can be explained by a manufacturing background CEO's focus on corporate cost management and his superior ability to choose flexible production to accelerate inventory flow and mitigate the bullwhip effect. We also show that the impact of manufacturing background CEOs on cost stickiness is more prominent in firms with high demand uncertainty, high economic policy uncertainty, high asset intensity, or low customer concentration. Finally, we report evidence that CEOs with manufacturing and finance backgrounds are associated with less cost stickiness, thus confirming the critical role of business-finance integration in cost management. In sum, these findings highlight the importance of talents in building a powerful manufacturing country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the adaptive containment control problem for nonlinear strict-feedback multi-agent systems with dynamic leaders. An adaptive controller is constructed by backstepping control, first-order filters and compensating signals. The ''explosion of complexity" phenomenon is avoided by introducing first-order filters in traditional backstepping control, and filter errors are handled with compensating signals. All adaptive laws are accumulated to the last step by using tuning functions. The whole control design method is divided into two parts. One is to design adaptive tracking control for dynamic leaders. The other is to design adaptive containment control for followers. Through the proposed control method, the closed-loop system is stable, and all followers can converge to the convex hull built by the leaders. The simulation studies can confirm the effectiveness of the proposed control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of environmental chemicals on health outcomes may be underestimated due to deficiency of knowledge regarding the actions of compounds on toxico-pathogenic mechanisms underlying biological systems outcomes. In this regard, the current study aimed to explore the potential target-pathway-disease relationship attributed to bisphenol A (BPA) responses in target tissues. Computational methods including reverse pharmacophore mapping approach, structural similarity based search and kinome wide interaction profiling were employed with molecular docking validation. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network based illustrations were utilized to prioritize target-pathway and disease relationships. Data illustrated that BPA possessed multi-target nature since this chemical potentially interacted with various protein targets where many of these were validated through docking. Potential BPA targets were significantly enriched to various cellular signaling pathways including steroid biosynthesis, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARℽ) and cancer. Further, hypertension was prioritized as disease target. In addition, BPA targeted 17 cell signaling kinases encompassed in the human kinome. In addition, inflammatory (5-LO) and apoptosis regulators (Bcl-X and Bcl-2) were also explored as novel targets. Evidence indicates that the multi-target nature and plausible mechanisms underlying BPA actions in a system wide manner aids toward understanding of adverse effects. This observation may lead us to more precise method to elucidate the toxico-pathogenic mechanisms of BPA with an environmental health perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults experience various challenges, including information uncertainties, financial pressure, and visit restrictions, which may lead to anxiety about the future. As a protective factor, sense of coherence (SOC) may play a role to reduce some psychological discomfort. This study aimed to analyze the relationships of SOC with anxiety, digital health literacy (DHL), information, and financial satisfaction among older adults during the outbreak. Methods: This is part of a large-scale DHL study with a cross-sectional survey across 41 countries. This study extracted data from three Asian countries (China, the Philippines, and Singapore) and included people aged ≥60. Structural equation modeling with path analysis was utilized to examine the relationships of SOC with anxiety about the future and other variables. Results: A total of 266 older adults were included, with 43.2% expressed anxiety about the future. DHL (β=–0.13, p < 0.05) and SOC (β=–0.26, p = 0.01) were negatively associated with anxiety, while financial and information satisfaction were not. However, financial satisfaction (β = 0.34, p < 0.01) and DHL (β = 0.32, p = 0.01) were positively associated with SOC. Higher SOC further mediated the negative relationships of DHL (β= −0.11, p = 0.004) and financial satisfaction (β= −0.12, p = 0.004) on anxiety of older adults. Conclusions: SOC had direct negative effect on anxiety and mediated the relationships between anxiety and DHL/financial satisfaction. Strategies should be developed to enhance SOC and DHL among older adults, as these capacities may help to manage anxiety during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores the primary determinants of Indian OFDI in 26 developed and 81 developing countries by integrating a nuanced perspective of institutional distance with conventional location factors (2008–2018). Our findings indicate that asset augmentation and market-seeking motives are the primary OFDI drivers in developed and developing regions, respectively. Overall, the institutional environment demonstrates a positive association between Indian OFDI and the robust governance quality of the host country (excluding RS investments in developing region). However, only robust regulatory quality (RQ) & control of corruption (CC) are the primary IQ determinants significantly attracting OFDI in developed nations. Surprisingly, none of the WGI significantly drives OFDI in developing countries. However, the interaction effect reveals that only market-seeking investors from India are drawn to highly regulated (RQ), rule-based (RL) developing nations. The estimated FDI factors differ significantly depending on the destination, but RQ largely remains the crucial determinant across regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates an effective controller design method for discrete-time linear system with parameter uncertainty, time-varying delay, input nonlinearity and process disturbance. A novel discrete-time quasi-sliding mode control (DQSMC) scheme is mainly proposed. Since the sliding mode bound is directly involved in the DQSMC law, the chattering bound can be accurately specified. By the proposed method, the dynamic of the sliding mode is unable to escape from the pre-given neighbourhood once it is attracted into the neighbourhood, in addition, the closed-loop system achieves the almost surely stable in mean square sense. Moreover, the proposed DQSMC provides a convenient method to simultaneously regulate the convergence rates of the sliding mode and the closed-loop system. Numerical example is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Natural Fibers is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper is devoted to study the issue of event-triggered observer-based H ∞ control of switched linear systems subject to time-varying state delay and exogenous disturbance. Firstly, an observer-based event-triggered controller is provided under the proposed event-triggered mechanism. Then, based on the average dwell time scheme and Jensen's Inequality technique, delay-dependent less conservative sufficient conditions in terms of Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs) are obtained to guarantee the resulting augmented switched systems is exponential stabilisation and satisfies a prescribed H ∞ control performance. Furthermore, observer-based event-triggered controller is designed, and it is shown that there exists a positive lower bound of inter-event intervals. Finally, numerical example and comparison results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigated the reactive dissolution of gas phase nitrogen-oxides and ozone in water. Mixtures with variable composition of nitrogen oxides were produced by mixing nitric oxide (NO) with ozone. Pure NO in Ar carrier gas resulted in the production of NO2− but its production rate was limited by low NO solubility. The presence of NO2 in the gas increased the production of NO2− while NO3− was also produced. The presence of N2O5 in the gas abruptly increased the production of NO3− due to higher solubility of N2O5. In the present configuration, about 8% of NO2 was dissolved in the water while for N2O5 the fraction was 78%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two incident reports for MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) Napoli in 2008 and MOL (Mitsui O.S.K. Lines) Comfort in 2015 both pointed out that whipping response was one main reason for inducing the catastrophes. Subsequently, International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) proposed a Unified Requirement (UR) S11A for ultimate strength evaluation of container ships, and main classification societies also updated their guidelines for whipping response. However, there are big differences in these requirements, and the safety level of ultimate strength under whipping loads is still unclear. This article is to find the effect of the whipping loads on hull girder reliability. Two large container ships 14500TEU and 19000TEU designed by China Classification Society (CCS) Rules are selected as case studies. Hull girder ultimate capacity in mid-ship section under hogging conditions is adopted as the dangerous failure mode, which is predicted by the increment-iterative method in IACS Common Structural Rules (CSR). The whipping effect on hull girder reliability is accounted for by a factor attaching on wave-induced moment. Then, a new evaluation criterion is proposed to evaluate hull girder ultimate strength for container ships under whipping loads, and sensitivity analysis of whipping effect is carried out. The conclusions in this article can provide a guidance for revising rule requirements in classification societies and optimising container ship structural design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discrete search and rescue path planning for a moving target problem is computationally hard. Despite heuristic methods proposed so far, for which efficiency is further plagued by random episodic target kinematic behavior, qualifying real solution goodness and specifying optimality gap still remain elusive. In this paper a new alternate formulation is proposed to solve the search path planning problem for a moving target. Rather than tackling explicitly the original problem model, a remarkable property is exploited to solve a conjugate mixed-integer linear programming problem. The approach lies on a compact open-loop search path planning problem model with anticipated feedback to efficiently minimize probability of detection failure as opposed to traditionally maximize cumulative probability of success. Preserving path solution optimality, solving the conjugate problem proves very valuable in significantly reducing computational complexity. This is mainly achievable by virtue of the resulting problem objective property which concisely defines the function to be minimized in terms of terminal belief contributions only. For the first time optimal or upper bound solution computation are made possible in reasonable time for practical size problems. A network representation is further utilized to simplify modeling and facilitate constraint specification. Computational results show the strength of the approach for one and two searching agent problem instances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Natural Fibers is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper concerns the observer-based robust control for uncertain Takagi–Sugeno(T–S) fuzzy systems with disturbances and time delays. An observer is firstly employed to estimate the system state, afterwards, a memorise feedback control law is furthermore proposed. Since the observer state can not be directly influenced by the system uncertainties and disturbances, the proposed control law brings merit on improving system robustness. A mode-dependent Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional (LKF) is designed. By aid of a linear decoupling method, the original nonlinear pair of the observer and the controller gains can be feasibly decoupled. By this method, the co-design method of the observer and controller is conveniently presented. In presence of the time-varying delays, process disturbances and the system uncertainties, the asymptotical stability of the closed-loop system can be guaranteed. Numerical example is given the validate effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead (Pb) is a toxic metal that can accumulate in the body and negatively impact human health. In this study, we prepared a highly sensitive and specific monoclonal antibody, 2C3, that can recognize Pb(II) with an IC50 and linear range of 0.5 ng/mL and 0.08–1.86 ng/mL, respectively. Additionally, based on this antibody we developed a fluorescent test strip, which can be used for both qualitative and quantitative detection of Pb(II) in brown rice with a detection range of 4.67–47.8 ng/mL. Therefore, the method we developed has high sensitivity suitable for the detection of Pb(II) in brown rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we produced a specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) against triadimefon (TDF) and triadimenol (TDN). The half-maximal inhibitory concentration for TDF and TDN was 5.25 and 9.98 ng/mL, respectively, with a linear detection range (IC20–IC80) of 1.09–25.35 and 2.29–43.61 ng/mL, respectively. Subsequently, we developed a colloidal gold immunochromatography test strip for the analysis of TDF and TDN in tomato. The results obtained from the colloidal gold immunochromatography test strip were in accordance with those obtained from the indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The colloidal gold immunochromatography test strip is efficient and suitable for on-site detection of TDF and TDN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates decentralised event-triggered H ∞ control for uncertain switched Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy systems subject to asynchronous adaptive sampling communication and exogenous disturbance. A set of adaptive sampling based on distributed sensors rather than a centralised sensor is applied to measure and sample the system's local signals. Moreover, it can enable local sensors to sample and transmit measured data asynchronously. In order to reasonably distribute network resources, decentralised event-triggering mechanisms (DETMs) are utilised. Furthermore, a data buffer is used to rearrange the released data from different channels to guarantee timely data utilisation. Then, under the proposed DETMs based on adaptive sampling and data buffer, a time-delay closed-loop uncertain switched T-S fuzzy system is developed by applying a modelling method. Subsequently, by utilising the average dwell time and piecewise Lyapunov functional method, sufficient conditions are obtained to ensure that the state of closed-loop uncertain switched T-S fuzzy system is exponentially stable with an H ∞ performance level. For the coupling between switching instants and event-triggered instants in the system, their impact on the system is discussed in detail. Accordingly, the conditions for the co-design of state feedback controllers gains and event-triggering parameters are presented. Finally, simulations verify the proposed design approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open access (OA) search tools can expedite the turnaround of interlibrary loan (ILL) fulfillment by locating openly available articles not found by library harvesting tools. Several search tools are available, but no comparison has been done of their efficacy in the context of ILL. Six OA search tools were evaluated using 153 ILL article requests for quantity of openly available articles found, accuracy of results, and value. Article availability was analyzed by publication year and broad academic discipline. Google and Google Scholar outperformed specialty OA search tools, although they were more prone to error and more likely to locate pre-publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, novel and promising graphene-based materials (i.e., carbon nanotubes, nanoporous graphene and graphene oxide) suitable to be used in preparation of high-capacity membranes for water desalination and water and wastewater treatment have been developed. After detail recognition of properties of nanoporous graphene and graphene oxide-based materials, the general conclusion on preparation of membranes made of only graphene or only graphene oxide as well as other composite materials involving these nanomaterials has been given. Novel composite membranes containing nanoporous graphene and, first of all, graphene oxide can be divided into two groups: (i) freestanding membranes made only of graphene or only of graphene oxide, and (ii) polymeric/ceramic membranes modified with the use of graphene-based nanomaterials. The modification of polymeric membranes can be achieved either by introduction of a nanomaterial onto a membrane surface or its addition to a membrane casting solution followed by membrane formation from a polymer and a nanomaterial mixture. Membranes based on nanomaterials enable to obtain significantly higher water/permeate fluxes than currently used thin film composite polyamide membranes. The future prospect of membranes based on nanoporous graphene and graphene oxide in regard to the final separation efficiency and commercial scaling up has been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]