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With the continuous improvement of the level of science and technology, automation, modernization and digital technology have been important applications in the field of power transformation, providing a positive impetus for the development of power transformation to unmanned. Transformer as the key equipment in the substation, its operation safety is very important, once the failure, and has not been found in time, then it will cause unimaginable transformer accidents, resulting in human and economic losses. And transformer fault diagnosis is a problem of multi-factor fault index evaluation, so how to timely and effectively fault diagnosis of transformer is a hot topic. In view of this characteristic, D-S evidence theory is applied to it in this paper. Starting from fault fusion diagnosis, transformer experimental data and symptom phenomena are analyzed at the same time, transformer fault diagnosis is completed, reasonable and accurate diagnosis results are given, and safe operation of substation is escorted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the approximate controllability for a class of fractional stochastic evolution equations with nonlocal initial conditions in a Hilbert space. We delete the compactness condition or Lipschitz condition for nonlocal term appearing in various literatures, and only need to suppose some weak growth condition on the nonlocal term. The discussion is based on the fixed point theorem, diagonal argument and approximation techniques. In the end, an example is presented to illustrate the abstract theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we are concerned with the existence of positive solutions of the fully third-order boundary value problem... is continuous. Some inequality conditions on f to guarantee the existence of positive solution are presented. These inequality conditions allow that ƒ(t; x; y; z) may be superlinear or sublinear growth on x, y and z as |(x; y; z)| → 0 and |(x; y; z)| → ∞. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we are concerned with the existence of positive solutions of the fully third-order boundary value problem ..., where f: [0, 1] x ℝ+ x ℝ+ x ℝ → ℝ is continuous. Some inequality conditions on f to guarantee the existence of positive solution are presented. These inequality conditions allow that f (t, x, y, z) may be superlinear or sublinear growth on x, y and z as |(x, y, z)| → 0 and |(x, y, z)| → ∞. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using monotone iterative technique and operator semigroup theorem, we consider the existence of mild solutions for a class of nonlocal semi-linear evolution equation with not instantaneous impulses in ordered Banach spaces. Finally, an example is given to show the existence results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we use a monotone iterative technique based on the presence of lower and upper solutions to discuss the existence of mild solutions for the initial value problem of the impulsive time fractional order partial differential equation of Volterra type in an ordered Banach space E where D0q is the Caputo fractional derivative of order q, 0 < q < 1, A : D(A) ⊂ E → E is a closed linear operator and -A is a generator of equicontinuous C0-semigroup, f ∈ C(J×E×E;E), J = [0, a], a > 0 is a constant, T is a Volterra integral operator, 0 < t1 < t2 < ⋯ < tm < a, Ik ∈ C(E,E), k = 1, 2, ∈, m and x0 ∈ E. Under wide monotone conditions and the noncompactness measure condition of nonlinearity f, we obtain the existence of extremal mild solutions and unique mild solution between lower and upper solutions. The results obtained generalize the recent conclusions on this topic. An example is also given to illustrate that our results are valuable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prognostics, in other words, remaining useful life (RUL) estimation is a core task of prognostics and health management (PHM). Reliable RUL predictions can reduce maintenance costs, improve production efficiency, and avoid unexpected downtime. Lots of models for RUL predictions have been proposed; however, noise and the nonlinear nature of degradation phenomena often leads to poor prognostics results, and the acquired engineered system data are usually subject to a high level of uncertainty. This makes the RUL estimation models less than satisfactory. Accurate RUL estimation and prediction not only rely on an accurate model but also depend on the adjustments of model parameters to track the variation. In this paper, an ensemble model combining the health index synthesis (HIS) approach and improved particle filtering (PF) is introduced. HIS approach was used to obtain the synthesized health index (SHI) for an engineered system with multiple sensors, which indicated the system's degradation model, while the improved PF approach was used to adjust the parameters of the degradation model obtained from the HIS approach and optimized the RUL estimation results. The performance of the prognostics approach introduced in this paper was demonstrated by using turbofan engine degradation data sets, which was supplied by NASA Ames, and results were compared with several usually used methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To consider the service-matching degree, the composition harmony degree, and the service composition complexity in cloud manufacturing service composition optimization problems, a new composition optimization approach, called cloud-entropy enhanced genetic algorithm (CEGA), is put forward to solve such problems with multi-objectives. The definitions of service-matching degree, composition harmony degree, and cloud-entropy and the corresponding calculation methods are given. A multi-objective optimization mathematical model of cloud manufacturing service composition is built. The manufacturing task of AGV (automated guided vehicle) is taken as an example to verify the proposed CEGA algorithm on the established composition model. The studied result shows that CEGA converges faster than a standard genetic algorithm with shorter time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exploring genetic differentiation and genomic variation is important for both the utilization of heterosis and the dissection of the genetic bases of complex traits. Methods: We integrated 1857 diverse maize accessions from America, Africa, Europe and Asia to investigatetheir genetic differentiation, genomic variation using 43,252 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs),combing GWAS and linkage analysis strategy to exploring the function of relevant genetic segments. Results: We uncovered many more subpopulations that recently or historically formed during the breeding process. These patterns are represented by the following lines: Mo17, GB, E28, Ye8112, HZS, Shen137, PHG39, B73, 207, A634, Oh43, Reid Yellow Dent, and the Tropical/subtropical (TS) germplasm. A total of 85 highly differentiated regions with a DEST of more than 0.2 were identified between the TS and temperate subpopulations. These regions comprised 79 % of the genetic variation, and most were significantly associated with adaptive traits. For example, the region containing the SNP tag PZE.108075114 was highly differentiated, and this region was significantly associated with flowering time (FT)-related traits, as supported by a genome-wide association study (GWAS) within the interval of FTrelated quantitative trait loci (QTL). This region was also closely linked to zcn8 and vgt1, which were shown to be involved in maize adaptation. Most importantly, 197 highly differentiated regions between different subpopulation pairs were located within an FT- or plant architecture-related QTL. Conclusions: Here we reported that 700-1000 SNPs were necessary needed to robustly estimate the genetic differentiation of a naturally diverse panel. In addition, 13 subpopulations were observed in maize germplasm, 85 genetic regions with higher differentiation between TS and temperate maize germplasm, 197 highly differentiated regions between different subpopulation pairs, which contained some FT-related QTNs/QTLs/genes supported by GWAS and linkage analysis, and these regions were expected to play important roles in maize adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A genome-wide association study (GWAS) is the foremost strategy used for finding genes that control human diseases and agriculturally important traits, but it often reports false positives. In contrast, its complementary method, linkage analysis, provides direct genetic confirmation, but with limited resolution. A joint approach, using multiple linkage populations, dramatically improves resolution and statistical power. For example, this approach has been used to confirm that many complex traits, such as flowering time controlling adaptation in maize, are controlled by multiple genes with small effects. In addition, genotyping by sequencing (GBS) at low coverage not only produces genotyping errors, but also results in large datasets, making the use of high-throughput sequencing technologies computationally inefficient or unfeasible. Results: In this study, we converted raw SNPs into effective recombination bins. The reduced bins not only retain the original information, but also correct sequencing errors from low-coverage genomic sequencing. To further increase the statistical power and resolution, we merged a new temperate maize nested association mapping (NAM) population derived in China (CN-NAM) with the existing maize NAM population developed in the US (US-NAM). Together, the two populations contain 36 families and 7,000 recombinant inbred lines (RILs). One million SNPs were generated for all the RILs with GBS at low coverage. We developed high-quality recombination maps for each NAM population to correct genotyping errors and improve the computational efficiency of the joint linkage analysis. The original one million SNPs were reduced to 4,932 and 5,296 recombination bins with average interval distances of 0.34 cM and 0.28 cM for CN-NAM and US-NAM, respectively. The quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping for flowering time (days to tasseling) indicated that the high-density, recombination bin map improved resolution of QTL mapping by 50 % compared with that using a medium-density map. We also demonstrated that combining the CN-NAM and US-NAM populations improves the power to detect QTL by 50 % compared to single NAM population mapping. Among the QTLs mapped by joint usage of the US-NAM and CN-NAM maps, 25 % of the QTLs overlapped with known flowering-time genes in maize. Conclusion: This study provides directions and resources for the research community, especially maize researchers, for future studies using the recombination bin strategy for joint linkage analysis. Available resources include efficient usage of low-coverage genomic sequencing, detailed positions for genes controlling maize flowering, and recombination bin maps and flowering- time data for both CN and US NAMs. Maize researchers even have the opportunity to grow both CN and US NAM populations to study the traits of their interest, as the seeds of both NAM populations are available from the seed repository in China and the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the existence of positive doubly periodic solutions for the nonlinear telegraph equation with delays ...u = f(t,x,u(t-τ1,x),..., u(t-τn,x)), (t,x) ∈ R², where ...u := utt - uxx + cut + a(t, x)u is a linear telegraph operator acting on function u: R²→R, c > 0 is a constant, a ∈ C(R², (0,∞)) is 2π-periodic in t and x,f ∈ C(R² × [0,∞)n, [0,∞)) is 2π-periodic in t and x, and τ1,..., τn ∈ [0,∞) are constants. Some existence results of positive doubly 2π-periodic weak solutions are obtained under that f (t, x,η1,...,ηn) satisfies some superlinear or sublinear growth conditions on η1,...,ηn. The discussion is based on the fixed point index theory in cones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modal analysis of the automobile transmission housing assembly is formulated using 3D graphics software Pro/E together with Finite Element Method in order to reduce the noise and vibration by accurately identifying the noise source of the transmission in the neutral idle condition. Besides, the calculation of meshing frequency of gear pair is conducted. After comparing model analysis results with the calculation results, we can intuitively analysis the dynamic characteristics of the transmission housing assembly and find out sensitive parts of the housing vibration. In order to enhance the structural stiffness of the transmission housing assembly and allow intentionally the natural frequency of the transmission to avoid the gear meshing frequency, we increase the thickness of thin plate or add the strengthening rib on the weak parts of the transmission housing assembly. The results of the above modified modal reanalysis show that low mode frequencies of the transmission housing assembly are greatly improved after optimization, and avoid the gear meshing excitation frequency effectively. The probability of resonance for the transmission housing assembly in use will be greatly reduced, which can well achieve the purpose of enhancing the dynamic characteristics of the transmission housing assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To measure the contributions of parental inbreds per se and heterosis to the genetic gain of single- cross maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids, yield trials of 29 historically important hybrids used in China during 1964 through 2001 and their parental inbreds were conducted. Mean rate of genetic gain for single-cross hybrids when measured across all locations was 55 kg ha-1 yr-1; heterosis contributed 37 kg ha-1 yr-1 (67%) of yield gain. Inbred yields at stressed locations were exceptionally poor and may have inflated measurements of heterosis. At unstressed locations, heterosis contributed 5 kg ha-1 yr-1 (8%) and 16 kg ha-1 yr-1 (39%) or 10 kg ha-1 yr-1 (19%) when locations were combined. For individual characteristics, the highest percent heterosis was for kernel weight per ear (58.6%), corresponding to and emphasizing the historic goal in China of increasing yield on an individual plant rather than on a unit area basis. There are opportunities to further improve the productivity of Chinese maize by increasing inbred parent yields, increasing tolerances to stresses associated with higher planting densities, and also increasing the contribution of heterosis through optimal assignation of inbreds into complementary heterotic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to study the existence and uniqueness of strong solutions for a class of semilinear evolution equations with nonlocal initial conditions. The discussions are based on analytic semigroup theory and fixed point theorems. An example illustrates the main results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the existence of positive solutions for the nonlinear fractional differential equations boundary value problem -D0+α u(t) = f(t,u(t)), 0 < t < 1, u(0) = u'(0) = u'( 1) = 0, where 2 < α ≤ 3 is a real number, D0+α is the Riemann-Liouville fractional derivative of order α, and f is a given continuous function. Our analysis relies on the fixed point index theory in cones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence results of positive ω-periodic solutions are obtained for the third-order ordinary differential equation with delays u'"(t)+a(t)u(t) = f(t,u(t-τ0), u'(t-τ1), u"(t-τ2)), t ∈ ℝ, where a ∈ C(R,(0, ∞)) is ω-periodic function and f: ℝ x[0, ∞) x ℝ² → (0, ∞) is a continuous function which is ω-periodic in t, and τ0, τ1, τ2 are positive constants. The discussion is based on the fixed- point index theory in cones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the existence of solution for the fully fourth-order boundary value problem u(4) = f(t, u, u', u'', u'''), 0 = t = 1, u(0) = u(1) = u''(0) = u''(1) = 0. A growth condition on f guaranteeing the existence of solution is presented. The discussion is based on the Fourier analysis method and Leray-Schauder fixed point theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general class of semilinear fractional evolution equations of mixed type with nonlocal conditions on infinite dimensional Banach spaces is concerned. Under more general conditions, the existence of mild solutions and positive mild solutions is obtained by utilizing a new estimation technique of the measure of noncompactness and a new fixed point theorem with respect to convexpower condensing operator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the existence and uniqueness of mild solutions for a second order evolution equation initial value problem in a Banach space, which can model an elastic system with structural damping. The discussion is based on the operator semigroups theory and fixed point theorem. In addition, an example is presented to illustrate our theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence results of positive ?-periodic solutions are obtained for the second-order ordinary differential equation u"(t) = f(t,u(t), u'(t)), t ∈ R where, f : R × (0,∞) × R ? R is a continuous function, which is ?-periodic in t and f(t, u, v) may be singular at u = 0. The discussion is based on the fixed point index theory in cones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the periodic boundary value problem for semilinear fractional differential equations in an ordered Banach space. The method of upper and lower solutions is then extended. The results on the existence of minimal and maximal mild solutions are obtained by using the characteristics of positive operators semigroup and the monotone iterative scheme. The results are illustrated by means of a fractional parabolic partial differential equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence results of positive ω-periodic solutions are obtained for the second-order functional differential equation with multiple delays u''(t) + a(t)u(t) = f(t,u(t),...,u(t - Tn(t))) ε where a(t) ε C(R) is a positive ω-periodic function, f : R x [0, +∞)n+1 ➝ is a continuous function which is ω-periodic in t, and τ T1(t),...,Tn(t) ε C(R, [0, +∞)) are ω-periodic functions. The existence conditions concern the first eigenvalue of the associated linear periodic boundary problem. Our discussion is based on the fixed-point index theory in cones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence results of positive ω-periodic solutions are obtained for the second-order differential equation with delays -u'' + a(t) = f(t,u(t - T1), ..., u(t - Tn)), where a Έ C(R, (0, ∞)) is a ω-periodic function, f : R x [0, ∞)n → [0, ∞) is a continuous function, which is ω-periodic in t, and T1, T 2, ..., Tn are positive constants. Our discussion is based on the fixed point index theory in cones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of positive solutions for Neumann boundary value problem of second-order impulsive differential equations -u''(t) + Mu(t) = f(t, u(t), t ∊ J, t≠ tk, -?u'|t=tk = Ik(u(tk)), k = 1, 2, . . ., m, u'(0) = u'(1) = ?, in an ordered Banach space E was discussed by employing the fixed point index theory of condensing mapping, where M > 0 is a constant, J = [0, 1], f ∊ C(J×K,K), Ik ∊ C(K,K), k = 1, 2, . . ., m, andK is the cone of positive elements in E. Moreover, an application is given to illustrate the main result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence results of positive solutions are obtained for the fourth-order periodic boundary value problem u(4) = βu" + αu = f(t, u, u"), 0 ≤ t ≤ 1, u(i)(0) = u(i)(1), i = 0, 1, 2, 3, where f : [0, 1] x ℝ+ x ℝ → ℝ+ is continuous, α, β ∈ ℝ, and satisfy 0 < α < ((β/2) + 2π&sup2:) &sup2:, β > -2 π², (α/ π4) + (β/π²) + 1 > 0. The discussion is based on the fixed point index theory in cones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By means of the fixed point theory of strict set contraction operators, we establish a new existence theorem on multiple positive solutions to a singular boundary value problem for second-order impulsive differential equations with periodic boundary conditions in a Banach space. Moreover, an application is given to illustrate the main result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  In this work, 3-methylthiophene (MeT) was electrochemically incorporated with nano- and mesoporous TiO2 films to form poly(3-methylthiophene) (PMeT)/TiO2 nanocomposite electrochromic electrodes. TiO2 films, which were previously coated on the ITO glass sheets through a well-established technique, were introduced to enhance the adhesion of the polymers to the substrates and thus increase the long-term stability of the devices. With this effort, the nanocomposite electrodes were found to retain up to 60% of their optical response after 3,500 deep and double potential steps and retain up to 50% of their electroactivity after 104 same steps, exhibiting enhanced long-term stability. Switching time and the maximum optical contrast (ΔT%) of the nanocomposite electrodes were found to be 0.6 s and 45%, respectively. Moreover, our work showed that electrochemically incorporating conductive polymers (CPs) with TiO2 mesoporous films was an effective method to form high-quality CP/TiO2 nanocomposite electrodes, which can be used widely in battery cathodes, photovoltaic cells, photocatalytic reaction, and photoelectrochromic cells and were supposed to enhance their performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural, dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of 0.90[x(Bi1/2 Na1/2)TiO3-(1-x)(Bi1/2K1/2)TiO3]-0.10(Bi1/2Ag1/2)TiO3 (BNKA) ceramics were studied for the compositional range, x = 0.73-0.89. The morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) composition of the system appears to be near BNKA-79 according to the results of the X-ray diffraction. The optimal piezoelectric properties are observed in the MPB region. The sample with x = 0.79 showed the highest piezoelectric constant d33 = 160 pC/N. The maximum electromechanical coupling factors, kp and kt, are 0.30 for BNKA-79 and 0.42 for BNKA-85, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric and impedance spectroscopies were employed to study intergrowth Bi5TiNbWO15 ferroelectrics. It was observed one ferroelectric phase transition at 1096 K and two dielectric relaxation processes involving bulk and grain boundary effects. It was also found that the bulk response within the material is of localized relaxation process, the temperature dependence of the relaxation strength is analogous to the Curie-Weiss law and the interactions between the oxygen vacancies in the bulk material follow the traditional point defects relaxation theory. Based on the analysis of the crystal structure, a short range diffusion mechanism of oxygen ions coordinating A sites was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new high-frequency oscillating-hot-wire sensor for magnitude and direction measurements of the wall-shear stress in separated flows is presented. The stress direction is determined from the phase angle between the imposed and measured oscillation velocity, and the corresponding magnitude is obtained from the low-pass filtered signal of the sensor, after removal of the modulating influence of the oscillation. The sensor was used to conduct measurements downstream of an axisymmetric backward-facing step (BFS) at different streamwise locations ranging from 0.3 to 10 step heights downstream of the step. The results agreed qualitatively with existing one-point measurements, such as the mean/rms skin-friction distribution, forward flow probability, and power spectra, in planar BFS flows. However, some fundamental quantitative differences were found including a shorter reattachment length and a larger streamwise location for the peak rms wall-shear fluctuations. These differences were attributed to the axisymmetric nature of the present geometry, transverse curvature of the step, or differences in the measurement methods. Additionally, the power spectra of the fluctuating wall-shear stress revealed the existence of two characteristic frequencies: f* = 0.1 and 0.65. The former is associated with low-frequency shear-layer flapping, and the latter corresponds to the passage of the separated shear-layer vortex structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern analog computing, by gaining momentum from nonvolatile resistive memory devices, deals with matrix computations. In-memory analog computing has been demonstrated for solving some basic but ordinary matrix problems in one step. Among the more complicated matrix problems, compressed sensing (CS) is a prominent example, whose recovery algorithms feature high-order matrix operations and hardware-unfriendly nonlinear functions. In light of the local competitive algorithm (LCA), here, we present a closed-loop, continuous-time resistive memory circuit for solving CS recovery in one step. Recovery of one-dimensional (1D) sparse signal and 2D compressive images has been experimentally demonstrated, showing elapsed times around few microseconds and normalized mean squared errors of 10-2. The LCA circuit is one or two orders of magnitude faster than conventional digital approaches. It also substantially outperforms other (electronic or exotically photonic) analog CS recovery methods in terms of speed, energy, and fidelity, thus representing a highly promising technology for real-time CS applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase structure, dielectric and piezoelectric properties of a new lead-free piezoelectric system (1-x)Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-x-xBi(Zn0.5Hf0.5)O3 [(1-x)BNT-xBZH, x=0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04] were investigated. The structure of Bi(Zn0.5Hf0.5)O3 was calculated using first-principles method and (1-x)BNT-xBZH ceramics were fabricated by conventional solid-state process. At room temperature, a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) from rhombohedral to pseudocubic is identified near x=0.02 by the analysis of X-ray diffraction patterns. The ceramics with MPB near room temperature exhibit excellent electrical properties: the Curie temperature, maximum polarization, remnant polarization, and coercive field are 340 °C, 56.3 μC/cm2, 43.5 μC/cm2, and 5.4 kV/mm, respectively, while the maximum positive bipolar strain and piezoelectric coefficient are 0.09% and 92 pC/N, respectively. In addition, a linear relationship between the MPB phase boundary composition and the calculated tetragonality of non-BNT end-member was demonstrated. Thus, this study not only shows a new BNT-based lead-free piezoelectric system but also suggest a new way to predict the composition at MPB a priori when designing new lead-free piezoelectric system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we apply the perturbation technique and monotone iterative method in the presence of the lower and the upper solutions to discuss the existence of the minimal and maximal mild solutions to the retarded evolution equations involving nonlocal and impulsive conditions in an ordered Banach space X U'(t) + Au(t) = f(t, u(t), ut), t ∈ [0; a], t ≠ tk, u(tk+) = u(tk-) + Ik(u(tk)), k = 1, 2, ..., m, u(s) = g(u)(s) + φ(s), s ≠ [-r, 0], where A : D(A) ⊂ X → X is a closed linear operator and -A generates a strongly continuous semigroup T(t) (t ≥ 0) on X, a, r > 0 are two constants, f : [0, a] x X x C0 → X is Carathéodory continuous, 0 < t1 < t2 < ... < tm < a are pre-fixed numbers, Ik ∈ C(X,X) for k = 1, 2,..., m, φ ∈ C0 is a priori given history, while the function g : Ca → C0 implicitly defines a complementary history, chosen by the system itself. Under suitable monotonicity conditions and noncompactness measure conditions, we obtain the existence of the minimal and maximal mild solutions, the existence of at least one mild solutions as well as the uniqueness of mild solution between the lower and the upper solutions. An example is given to illustrate the feasibility of our theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucose is the basic fuel essential for maintenance of viability and functionality of all cells. However, some neurons -- namely, glucose-inhibited (GI) neurons -- paradoxically increase their firing activity in low-glucose conditions and decrease that activity in high-glucose conditions. The ionic mechanisms mediating electric responses of GI neurons to glucose fluctuations remain unclear. Here, we showed that currents mediated by the anoctamin 4 (Ano4) channel are only detected in GI neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) and are functionally required for their activation in response to low glucose. Genetic disruption of the Ano4 gene in VMH neurons reduced blood glucose and impaired counterregulatory responses during hypoglycemia in mice. Activation of VMHAno4 neurons increased food intake and blood glucose, while chronic inhibition of VMHAno4 neurons ameliorated hyperglycemia in a type 1 diabetic mouse model. Finally, we showed that VMHAno4 neurons represent a unique orexigenic VMH population and transmit a positive valence, while stimulation of neurons that do not express Ano4 in the VMH (VMHnon-Ano4) suppress feeding and transmit a negative valence. Together, our results indicate that the Ano4 channel and VMHAno4 neurons are potential therapeutic targets for human diseases with abnormal feeding behavior or glucose imbalance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we study the existence of piecewise-continuous mild solutions for the initial value problems for a class of semilinear evolution equations. These equations have non-instantaneous impulses in Banach spaces and the corresponding solution semigroup is noncompact. We assume that the nonlinear term satisfies certain local growth condition and a noncompactness measure condition. Also we assume the non-instantaneous impulsive functions satisfy some Lipschitz conditions. An example is given to illustrate our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maize requires more water than most other crops; therefore, the water use efficiency of this crop must be improved for maize production under undesirable land and changing environmental conditions. Results: To elucidate the genetic control of drought in maize, we evaluated approximately 5000 inbred lines from 30 linkage-association joint mapping populations under two contrasting water regimes for seven drought-related traits, including yield and anthesis-silking interval (ASI). The joint linkage analysis was conducted to identify 220 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) under well-watered conditions and 169 QTLs under water-stressed conditions. The genome-wide association analysis identified 365 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with drought-related traits, and these SNPs were located in 354 candidate genes. Fifty-two of these genes showed significant differential expression in the inbred line B73 under the well-watered and water-stressed conditions. In addition, genomic predictions suggested that the moderate-density SNPs obtained through genotyping-by-sequencing were able to make accurate predictions in the nested association mapping population for drought-related traits with moderate-to-high heritability under the water-stressed conditions. Conclusions: The results of the present study provide important information that can be used to understand the genetic basis of drought stress responses and facilitate the use of beneficial alleles for the improvement of drought tolerance in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recent advances of (K,Na)NbO3-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics (KNN) with special emphasis on (K,Na,Li)(Nb,Sb,Ta)O3 representative system is reviewed concisely. The base KNN and its compositional derivatives are analyzed in terms of the relationship of fabrication methods and properties, in which the control of piezoelectric grain growth is extended thoroughly. The grain growth from nano- to meso- scales with self-orientation of sub-grains in large super-grains is obtained and presented by low temperature calcinations of raw powders. The experimental results of self-assembly grain growth are illustrated using a primary mechanism of their interplanar and interparticle polarizations. Besides grain size and orientation, the other object of grain engineering is microstructures consisting of domains and domain walls. Similar to that of the dielectric properties and deducing from previous research results, domainwalls should have a contribution to piezoelectric properties. Special attention is then devoted to domain wall formation and the relation to piezoelectric properties. Their formation assistance and coexistence with defects obey the law of lattice fit and misfit in crystallography. Both domains and domain walls may play remarkable roles in piezoelectric performance. Overall, the research of piezoelectric materials is a systematic engineering, and more issues need to be resolved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on the two-point measurement of the shear stresses on walls beneath an axisymmetric separating/reattaching flow. It states that difficulties in measuring the direction-reversing shear stress beneath separation bubbles is responsible for the lack of information on surface shear stress. It mentions that traditional methods of measuring wall-shear-stress are wall hot wires, which cannot be used if there is flow reversal, and pulsed wire, which has a frequency response limited to tens of hertz.

Polyaniline (PANI) nanofibre films were fabricated on an indium-tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate through a controlled electropolymerization process. The PANI nanofibres grow vertically on an ITO substrate and are tapered, with average diameters of 20 and 15 nm for the base and top, respectively. The influence of the electrochemical conditions on the nanostructural formation of the PANI films was investigated and the optimized parameters of the electrodeposition were obtained. The optical and electrical properties of the PANI nanofibre electrodes were studied. Employing these PANI nanofibre films as the electrochromic electrode, we fabricated an electrochromic display (ECD) and a self-powered photoelectrochromic cell. The electrochromic and photoelectric properties of the ECD and photoelectrochromic cell are discussed in this paper. The PANI nanofibre based ECD and photoelectrochromic cells have a rapid response compared to conventional thin films due to the high aspect ratio of the nanostructured PANI film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the maintenance allocation is to allocate the maintenance time to the subsystems reasonably and accurately. Traditional mean time to repair (MTTR) allocation methods are widely used in the industry. However, there are many deficiencies in practical application, which is inconsistent with the purpose of the maintenance allocation. To allocate the MTTR more precisely and reasonably, a better model is needed. The aim of this paper is to develop a maintenance allocation model, which can improve the applicability and operability, and solve the residue problem that exists in maintenance allocation. A case study is used to demonstrate how the model can be applied in practice. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramic tape-casting slurries are complex systems composed of ceramic powder, solvent, and a number of organic components. Conventionally, the development of ceramic tape-casting slurries is time-consuming and of low efficiency. In this work, combinatorial approaches were applied to screen the ethanol and ethyl-acetate binary solvent based slurry for ceramic green tape-casting. The combinatorial libraries were designed considering the variation of the amount of PVB (Poly vinyl-butyral) binder, polyethylene-400, and butyl-benzyl-phthalate plasticizers, and glyceryl triacetate dispersant. A parallel magnetic stirring process was used to make the combinatorial slurry library. The properties mapping of the slurry library was obtained by investigating the sedimentation and rheological characteristics of the slurries. The slurry composition was refined by scaling up the experiments and comparing the microstructure, mechanical property, and sintering behavior of green tapes made from the selected slurries. Finally, a kind of ethanol-ethyl acetate binary solvent based slurry system suitable for making X7R dielectric ceramic green tapes was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium bismuth titanates Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3 (NBT) doped with 0–3 wt% Er2O3 were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction method. The X-ray diffraction results revealed that the sintered Er-doped NBT ceramics exhibited a pure perovskite structure with Er3+ concentrations ranging from 0 to 1 wt%. At a low Er2O3 concentration, the Er-doped NBT ceramics showed enhanced electrical properties with dielectric constant ℇ33T/ℇ0=636, a low dielectric dissipation factor (tan δ=3.3%), a low coercive field ( Ec=4.56 kV/mm), and a high piezoelectric constant ( d33=75 pC/N). The relationship between the composition and properties of Er-doped NBT ceramics has been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of human cancers, yet their modes of action in gastric cancer (GC) remain largely unknown. Here, we identified circURI1 back-spliced from exons 3 and 4 of unconventional prefoldin RPB5 interactor 1 (URI1) from circRNA profiling of five-paired human gastric and the corresponding nontumor adjacent specimens (paraGC). CircURI1 exhibits the significantly higher expression in GC compared with paraGC and inhibitory effects on cell migration and invasion in vitro and GC metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, circURI1 directly interacts with heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein M (hnRNPM) to modulate alternative splicing of genes, involved in the process of cell migration, thus suppressing GC metastasis. Collectively, our study expands the current knowledge regarding the molecular mechanism of circRNA-mediated cancer metastasis via modulating alternative splicing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parameters of a wheat flour equal-pitch screw feeder are mainly based on empirical design. A method comparing the effect of the number of blocked zones on the feeding sections is proposed to complete the screw parameter of four feeding sections. According to the designed screw structure, Solid Works was used to build the three-dimensional model, and EDEM software was imported for discrete element analysis. It is found that the optimal solution is the screw design with two blocked zones, in which the cutting stock of the feeding sections is very uniform with high feeding accuracy on the premise of satisfying the screw feeding. In order to verify the rationality of the design of the screw structure, the screw was processed based on the optimal parameters, and the screw feeding device of the transparent outer cylinder was built with acrylic plate, and then the feeding stability of wheat flour was observed. The flow fluctuation of the designed screw is relatively small, and the feeding is more uniform, so the accuracy of the screw feed is higher. The experiment verifies the rationality of the variable pitch design and provides a reference for the design and development of wheat flour screw feeding device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights the role of high- and low-latitude forcing of East Asian monsoon variations on tectonic and orbital time scales. It mentions information about the high-resolution precipitation record from Pliocene fluvial-lacustrine sequences in the Weihe Basin, Central China, a region sensitive to the East Asian monsoon.

The properties of an aqueous Bi[sub 4]Ti[sub 3]O[sub 12] suspension stabilized b x an acrylic acid/acrylic ester copolymer have been investigated. The adsorption of a copolymer on Bi[sub 4]Ti[sub 3]O[sub 12] surface resulted in a dramatic increase in the absolute zeta potential at pH 3-11. Coincidentally, the rheological property of the suspension was significantly improved. The adsorption quantity increased with increasing copolymer concentration at first, then decreased as the copolymer concentration was beyond 1.5 wt%. The viscosity varied in a complicated manner with copolymer concentration, due to the variations in the adsorption quantity and adsorption configuration of the copolymer molecules on Bi[sub 4]Ti[sub 3]O[sub 12] particle surface. High-quality tapes were prepared through tape casting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which discusses lithofacies Paleogeography and Paleoenvironmental evolution of the Cenozoic in the Weihe Basin in China. Topics discussed include research on the sedimentation and environmental evolution, division of lithostratigraphic units of the Cenozoic, and reconstruction of lithofacies paleogeography and environment evolution processes.

This paper presents a kind of passive wireless pressure sensor comprised of a planar spiral inductor and a cavity parallel plate capacitor fabricated through low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology. The LTCC material with a low Young’s modulus of ~65 GPa prepared by our laboratory was used to obtain high sensitivity. A three-step lamination process was applied to construct a high quality cavity structure without using any sacrificial materials. The effects of the thickness of the sensing membranes on the sensitivity and detection range of the pressure sensors were investigated. The sensor with a 148 μm sensing membrane showed the highest sensitivity of 3.76 kHz/kPa, and the sensor with a 432 μm sensing membrane presented a high detection limit of 2660 kPa. The tunable sensitivity and detection limit of the wireless pressure sensors can meet the requirements of different scenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RIOK1 has recently been shown to play important roles in cancers, but its posttranslational regulation is largely unknown. Here we report that RIOK1 is methylated at K411 by SETD7 methyltransferase and that lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) reverses its methylation. The mutated RIOK1 (K411R) that cannot be methylated exhibits a longer half-life than does the methylated RIOK1. FBXO6 specifically interacts with K411-methylated RIOK1 through its FBA domain to induce RIOK1 ubiquitination. Casein kinase 2 (CK2) phosphorylates RIOK1 at T410, which stabilizes RIOK1 by antagonizing K411 methylation and impeding the recruitment of FBXO6 to RIOK1. Functional experiments demonstrate the RIOK1 methylation reduces the tumor growth and metastasis in mice model. Importantly, the protein levels of CK2 and LSD1 show an inverse correlation with FBXO6 and SETD7 expression in human colorectal cancer tissues. Together, this study highlights the importance of a RIOK1 methylation-phosphorylation switch in determining colorectal and gastric cancer development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the alkylation mechanism of isobutane with butene, it is of great importance to elucidate the difference of protonation behaviours among butene isomers at molecular scale, because it is the starting point of this reaction. Herein, we have calculated the protonation processing of isobutene and 2-butene on a 120T HY cluster model, using an embedded QM/MM (quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical) method. The formation energy of p-complex from isobutene is higher than that of 2-butene owing to the effect of electronic interaction and steric hindrance between the C=C bond of butene and the H atom of the HY zeolite. Moreover, the energy of t-butyl alkoxide (TBA) produced via isobutene protonation is higher than that of s-butyl alkoxide (SBA) from 2-butene, as the C-O bond of TBA is longer. In addition, the transition state of isobutene protonation is a t-butyl carbonium ion, while the corresponding structure during 2-butene protonation is a s-butyl carbonium ion, which is less stable. In conclusion, isobutene is much easier to be activated by Brönsted acid site of HY zeolite than 2-butene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]