A vortex is intuitively recognized as the rotational/swirling motion of fluids,but a rigorous and universally-accepted definition is still not available.Vorticity tube/filament has been regarded equivalent to a vortex...A vortex is intuitively recognized as the rotational/swirling motion of fluids,but a rigorous and universally-accepted definition is still not available.Vorticity tube/filament has been regarded equivalent to a vortex since Helmholtz proposed the concepts of vorticity tube/filament in 1858 and the vorticity-based methods can be categorized as the first generation of vortex identification methods.During the last three decades,a lot of vortex identification methods,including 0,A,and Aci criteria,have been proposed to overcome the problems associated with the vorticity-based methods.Most of these criteria are based on the Cauchy-Stokes decomposition and/or eigenvalues of the velocity gradient tensor and can be considered as the second generation of vortex identification methods.Starting from 2014,the Vortex and Turbulence Research Team at the University of Texas at Arlington(the UTA team)focus on the development of a new generation of vortex identification methods.The first fruit of this effort,a new Omega(/2)vortex identification method,which defined a vortex as a connected region where the vorticity overtakes the deformation,was published in 2016.In 2017 and 2018,a Liutex(previously called Rortex)vector was proposed to provide a mathematical definition of the local rigid rotation part of the fluid motion,including both the local rotational axis and the rotational strength.Liutex/Rortex is a new physical quantity with scalar,vector and tensor forms exactly representing the local rigid rotation of fluids.Meanwhile,a decomposition of the vorticity to a rotational part namely Liutex/Rortex and an anti-symmetric shear part(RS decomposition)was introduced in 2018,and a universal decomposition of the velocity gradient tensor to a rotation part(7?)and a non-rotation part(NR、was also given in 2018 as a counterpart of the traditional Cauchy-Stokes decomposition.Later in early 2019,a Liutex/Rortex based Omega method called Omega-Liutex,which combines the respective advantages of both Liutex/Rortex and Omega methods,was dev展开更多
As a new generation of direct current(DC)transmission technology,voltage sourced converter(VSC)based high voltage direct current(HVDC)has been widely developed and applied all over the world.China has also carried out...As a new generation of direct current(DC)transmission technology,voltage sourced converter(VSC)based high voltage direct current(HVDC)has been widely developed and applied all over the world.China has also carried out a deep technical research and engineering application in this area,and at present,it has been stepped into a fast growing period.This paper gives a general review over China’s VSC based HVDC in terms of engineering technology,application and future development.It comprehensively analyzes the technical difficulties and future development orientation on the aspects of the main configurations of VSC based HVDC system,topological structures of converters,control and protection technologies,flexible DC cables,converter valve tests,etc.It introduces the applicable fields and current status of China’s VSC based HVDC projects,and analyzes the application trends of VSC based HVDC projects both in China and all over the world according to the development characteristics and demands of future power grids.展开更多
Processing of materials by ultrashort laser pulses has evolved significantly over the last decade and is starting to reveal its scientific,technological and industrial potential.In ultrafast laser manufacturing,optica...Processing of materials by ultrashort laser pulses has evolved significantly over the last decade and is starting to reveal its scientific,technological and industrial potential.In ultrafast laser manufacturing,optical energy of tightly focused femtosecond or picosecond laser pulses can be delivered to precisely defined positions in the bulk of materials via two-/multi-photon excitation on a timescale much faster than thermal energy exchange between photoexcited electrons and lattice ions.Control of photoionization and thermal processes with the highest precision,inducing local photomodification in sub-100-nm-sized regions has been achieved.State-of-the-art ultrashort laser processing techniques exploit high 0.1–1μm spatial resolution and almost unrestricted three-dimensional structuring capability.Adjustable pulse duration,spatiotemporal chirp,phase front tilt and polarization allow control of photomodification via uniquely wide parameter space.Mature opto-electrical/mechanical technologies have enabled laser processing speeds approaching meters-per-second,leading to a fast lab-to-fab transfer.The key aspects and latest achievements are reviewed with an emphasis on the fundamental relation between spatial resolution and total fabrication throughput.Emerging biomedical applications implementing micrometer feature precision over centimeter-scale scaffolds and photonic wire bonding in telecommunications are highlighted.展开更多
The Keap1–Nrf2–ARE pathway is an important antioxidant defense mechanism that protects cells from oxidative stress and the Keap1–Nrf2 protein–protein interaction(PPI) has become an important drug target to upregul...The Keap1–Nrf2–ARE pathway is an important antioxidant defense mechanism that protects cells from oxidative stress and the Keap1–Nrf2 protein–protein interaction(PPI) has become an important drug target to upregulate the expression of ARE-controlled cytoprotective oxidative stress response enzymes in the development of therapeutic and preventive agents for a number of diseases and conditions. However, most known Nrf2 activators/ARE inducers are indirect inhibitors of Keap1–Nrf2PPI and they are electrophilic species that act by modifying the sulfhydryl groups of Keap1's cysteine residues. The electrophilicity of these indirect inhibitors may cause "off-target" side effects by reacting with cysteine residues of other important cellular proteins. Efforts have recently been focused on the development of direct inhibitors of Keap1–Nrf2 PPI. This article reviews these recent research efforts including the development of high throughput screening assays, the discovery of peptide and small molecule direct inhibitors, and the biophysical characterization of the binding of these inhibitors to the target Keap1 Kelch domain protein. These non-covalent direct inhibitors of Keap1–Nrf2 PPI could potentially be developed into effective therapeutic or preventive agents for a variety of diseases and conditions.展开更多
The presence of particles larger than the permissible dimensions of conventional laboratory specimens causes difficulty in the determination of shear strength of coarse-grained soils. In this research, the influence o...The presence of particles larger than the permissible dimensions of conventional laboratory specimens causes difficulty in the determination of shear strength of coarse-grained soils. In this research, the influence of particle size on shear strength of coarse-grained soils was investigated by resorting to experimental tests in different scale and numerical simulations based on discrete element method （DEM）. Experimental tests on such soil specimens were based on using the techniques designated as ＂parallel＂ and ＂scalping＂ to prepare gradation of samples in view of the limitation of laboratory specimen size. As a second approach, the direct shear test was numerically simulated on assemblies of elliptical particles. The behaviors of samples under experimental and numerical tests are presented and compared, indicating that the modification of sample gradation has a significant influence on the mechanical properties of coarse-grained soils. It is noted that the shear strengths of samples produced by the scalping method are higher than samples by the parallel method. The scalping method for preparing specimens for direct shear test is therefore recommended. The micromechanical behavior of assemblies under direct shear test is also discussed and the effects of stress level on sample behavior are investigated.展开更多
In order to solve the difficult problem of typhoon track prediction due to the sparsity of conventional data over the tropical ocean, in this paper, the No. 0205 typhoon Rammasun of 4-6 July 2002 is studied and an exp...In order to solve the difficult problem of typhoon track prediction due to the sparsity of conventional data over the tropical ocean, in this paper, the No. 0205 typhoon Rammasun of 4-6 July 2002 is studied and an experiment of the typhoon track prediction is made with the direct use of the Advanced TIROS-N Operational Vertical Sounder (ATOVS) microwave radiance data in three-dimensional variational data assimilation. The prediction result shows that the experiment with the ATOVS microwave radiance data can not only successfully predict the observed fact that typhoon Rammasun moves northward and turns right, but can also simulate the action of the fast movement of the typhoon, which cannot be simulated with only conventional radiosonde data. The skill of the typhoon track prediction with the ATOVS microwave radiance data is much better than that without the ATOVS data. The typhoon track prediction of the former scheme is consistent in time and in location with the observation. The direct assimilation of ATOVS microwave radiance data is an available way to solve the problem of the sparse observation data over the tropical ocean, and has great potential in being applied to typhoon track prediction.展开更多
This paper presents a scheme for quantum secure direct communication with quantum encryption. The two authorized users use repeatedly a sequence of the pure entangled pairs （quantum key） shared for encrypting and de...This paper presents a scheme for quantum secure direct communication with quantum encryption. The two authorized users use repeatedly a sequence of the pure entangled pairs （quantum key） shared for encrypting and decrypting the secret message carried by the travelling photons directly. For checking eavesdropping, the two parties perform the single-photon measurements on some decoy particles before each round. This scheme has the advantage that the pure entangled quantum signal source is feasible at present and any eavesdropper cannot steal the message.展开更多
The capacity for self-renewal and differentiation of human embryonic stem （ES） cells makes them a potential source for generation of pancreatic beta cells for treating type I diabetes mellitus. Here, we report a new...The capacity for self-renewal and differentiation of human embryonic stem （ES） cells makes them a potential source for generation of pancreatic beta cells for treating type I diabetes mellitus. Here, we report a newly developed and effective method, carried out in a serum-free system, which induced human ES cells to differentiate into insulin-producing cells. Activin A was used in the initial stage to induce definitive endoderm differentiation from human ES cells, as detected by the expression of the definitive endoderm markers Sox17 and Brachyury. Further, all-trans retinoic acid （RA） was used to promote pancreatic differentiation, as indicated by the expression of the early pancreatic transcription factors pdxl and hlxb9. After maturation in DMEM/F12 serum-free medium with bFGF and nicotinamide, the differentiated cells expressed islet specific markers such as C-peptide, insulin, glucagon and glut2. The percentage of C-peptide-positive cells exceeded 15%. The secretion of insulin and C-peptide by these cells corresponded to the variations in glucose levels. When transplanted into renal capsules of Streptozotocin （STZ）-treated nude mice, these differentiated human ES cells survived and maintained the expression of beta cell marker genes, including C-peptide, pdxl, glucokinase, nkx6.1, lAPP, pax6 and Tcfl. Thirty percent of the transplanted nude mice exhibited apparent restoration of stable euglycemia; and the corrected phenotype was sustained for more than six weeks. Our new method provides a promising in vitro differentiation model for studying the mechanisms of human pancreas development and illustrates the potential of using human ES cells for the treatment of type I diabetes mellitus.展开更多
Spinal cord injury is linked to the interruption of neural pathways,which results in irreversible neural dysfunction.Neural repair and neuroregeneration are critical goals and issues for rehabilitation in spinal cord ...Spinal cord injury is linked to the interruption of neural pathways,which results in irreversible neural dysfunction.Neural repair and neuroregeneration are critical goals and issues for rehabilitation in spinal cord injury,which require neural stem cell repair and multimodal neuromodulation techniques involving personalized rehabilitation strategies.Besides the involvement of endogenous stem cells in neurogenesis and neural repair,exogenous neural stem cell transplantation is an emerging effective method for repairing and replacing damaged tissues in central nervous system diseases.However,to ensure that endogenous or exogenous neural stem cells truly participate in neural repair following spinal cord injury,appropriate interventional measures(e.g.,neuromodulation)should be adopted.Neuromodulation techniques,such as noninvasive magnetic stimulation and electrical stimulation,have been safely applied in many neuropsychiatric diseases.There is increasing evidence to suggest that neuromagnetic/electrical modulation promotes neuroregeneration and neural repair by affecting signaling in the nervous system;namely,by exciting,inhibiting,or regulating neuronal and neural network activities to improve motor function and motor learning following spinal cord injury.Several studies have indicated that fine motor skill rehabilitation training makes use of residual nerve fibers for collateral growth,encourages the formation of new synaptic connections to promote neural plasticity,and improves motor function recovery in patients with spinal cord injury.With the development of biomaterial technology and biomechanical engineering,several emerging treatments have been developed,such as robots,brain-computer interfaces,and nanomaterials.These treatments have the potential to help millions of patients suffering from motor dysfunction caused by spinal cord injury.However,large-scale clinical trials need to be conducted to validate their efficacy.This review evaluated the efficacy of neural stem cells and magnetic or electrical stimu展开更多
AIM To estimate annual direct and indirect costs for patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) and subtypes.METHODS Patients completed a standardized questionnaire concerning usage of healthcare resources,...AIM To estimate annual direct and indirect costs for patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) and subtypes.METHODS Patients completed a standardized questionnaire concerning usage of healthcare resources, travel costs, meals, and productivity loss of patients when seeking treatment for IBS. Total annual costs per patient were calculated as the sum of direct(including medical and nonmedical) and indirect costs. Total annual costs per patient among various IBS subtypes were compared. Analysis of variance and bootstrapped independent sample t-tests were performed to determine differences between groups after controlling for IBS subtypes.RESULTS A total of 105 IBS patients(64.80% female), mean age of 57.12 years ± 10.31 years), mean disease duration of 4.31 years ± 5.40 years, were included. Total annual costs per patient were estimated as CNy18262.84(USD2933.08). Inpatient and outpatient healthcare use were major cost drivers, accounting for 46.41%and 23.36% of total annual costs, respectively. Productivity loss accounted for 25.32% of total annual costs. The proportions of direct and indirect costs were similarto published studies in other countries. Nationally, the total costs of managing IBS would amount to CNy123.83 billion(USD1.99 billion). Among the IBS subtypes, total annual costs per patient of IBS-M was highest at CNy18891.18(USD3034). Furthermore, there was significant difference in productivity loss among IBS subtypes(P = 0.031).CONCLUSION IBS imposes a huge economic burden on patients and healthcare systems, which could account for 3.3% of the total healthcare budget for the entire Chinese nation. More than two-thirds of total annual costs of IBS consist of inpatient and outpatient healthcare use. Among the subtypes, IBS-M patients appear to have the greatest economic burden but require further confirmation.展开更多
This paper reviews the state of the art of research and industry practice on demand response and the new methodology of transactive energy. Demand response programs incentivize consumers to align their demand with pow...This paper reviews the state of the art of research and industry practice on demand response and the new methodology of transactive energy. Demand response programs incentivize consumers to align their demand with power supply conditions, enhancing power system reliability and economic operation. The design of demand response programs, performance of pilot projects and programs, consumer behaviors, and barriers are discussed.Transactive energy is a variant and a generalized form of demand response in that it manages both the supply and demand sides. It is intended for a changing environment with an increasing number of distributed resources and intelligent devices. It utilizes the flexibility of various generation/load resources to maintain a dynamic balance of supply and demand. These distributed resources are controlled by their owners. However, the design of transaction mechanisms should align the individual behaviors with the interests of the entire system. Transactive energy features real-time, autonomous, and decentralized decision making.The transition from demand response to transactive energy is also discussed.展开更多
For the joint time difference of arrival（TDOA） and angle of arrival（AOA） location scene,two methods are proposed based on the rectangular coordinates and the polar coordinates,respectively.The problem is solved pe...For the joint time difference of arrival（TDOA） and angle of arrival（AOA） location scene,two methods are proposed based on the rectangular coordinates and the polar coordinates,respectively.The problem is solved perfectly by calculating the target position with the joint TDOA and AOA location.On the condition of rectangular coordinates,first of all,it figures out the radial range between target and reference stations,then calculates the location of the target.In the case of polar coordinates,first of all,it figures out the azimuth between target and reference stations,then figures out the radial range between target and reference stations,finally obtains the location of the target.Simultaneously,simulation analyses show that the theoretical analysis is correct,and the proposed methods also provide the application of the joint TDOA and AOA location algorithm with the theoretical basis.展开更多
The direct anterior approach to the hip has been suggested to have several advantages compared to previously popular approaches through its use of an intra-muscular and intra-nervous interval betweenthe tensor fasciae...The direct anterior approach to the hip has been suggested to have several advantages compared to previously popular approaches through its use of an intra-muscular and intra-nervous interval betweenthe tensor fasciae latae and sartorius muscles. Recent increased interest in tissue-sparing and minimallyinvasive arthroplasty has given rise to a sharp increase in the utilization of direct anterior total hip arthroplasty. A number of variations of the procedure have been described and several authors have published their experiences and feedback to successfully accomplishing this procedure. Additionally, improved understanding of relevant soft tissue constraints and anatomic variants has provided improved margin of safety for patients. The procedure may be performed using speciallydesigned instruments and a fracture table, however many authors have also described equally efficacious performance using a regular table and standard arthroplasty tools. The capacity to utilize fluoroscopy intraoperatively for component positioning is a valuable asset to the approach and can be of particular benefit for surgeons gaining familiarity. Proper management of patient and limb positioning are vital to reducing risk of intra-operative complications. An understanding of its limitations and challenges are also critical to safe employment. This review summarizes the key features of the direct anterior approach for total hip arthroplasty as an aid to improving the understanding of this important and effective method for modern hip replacement surgeons.展开更多
This paper investigates a control and protection strategy for a four-terminal modular multilevel converter(MMC)based high-voltage direct current(HVDC)system under a converter-side AC fault.Based on the system operatin...This paper investigates a control and protection strategy for a four-terminal modular multilevel converter(MMC)based high-voltage direct current(HVDC)system under a converter-side AC fault.Based on the system operating condition,a control and protection strategy against the fault with normal blocking of the converter is proposed.In practical,applications encountering such a fault,the MMC at the fault side may experience different conditions of blocking failure.The blocking failures may occur on:①the whole converter;②one converter arm;③one sub-module(SM)/several SMs of one converter arm;④other conditions.The phenomenon of the multi-terminal HVDC(MTDC)system following the fault is analyzed under the first three conditions with real-time simulations using the real-time digital simulator(RTDS).Based on the impact of different conditions on the MTDC system,the necessity of utilizing special control and protection is discussed.A special control and protection strategy is proposed for emergency conditions,and its effectiveness is verified by real-time simulation results.展开更多
Calcium sulfate hemihydrate （CSH） whiskers were synthesized by phase transition in CaCl2 solution under atmospheric pressure. Analytical-grade calcium sulfate dihydrate （AR CSD） was used as the raw material for th...Calcium sulfate hemihydrate （CSH） whiskers were synthesized by phase transition in CaCl2 solution under atmospheric pressure. Analytical-grade calcium sulfate dihydrate （AR CSD） was used as the raw material for the synthesis of CSH whiskers, according to orthogonal experiments. The effects of reaction tem- perature, AR CSD content, H2SO4 content, and reaction time were investigated, and the crystallization conditions were optimized. The as-prepared CSH whiskers displayed a regular morphology and a highly uniform size, with an aspect ratio of 105, A simulation system was also established by blending various sulfates with AR CSD, to evaluate the effects of impurities in flue gas desulfurization （FGD） gypsum. The main aim was to prepare CSH whiskers directly from FGD gypsum, without any purification, using the optimized conditions. This is a facile potential alternative process for large-scale production of CSH whiskers using abundant FGD gypsum as source materials.展开更多
For a distributed drive electric vehicle（DDEV） driven by four in-wheel motors, advanced vehicle dynamic control methods can be realized easily because motors can be controlled independently, quickly and precisely. A...For a distributed drive electric vehicle（DDEV） driven by four in-wheel motors, advanced vehicle dynamic control methods can be realized easily because motors can be controlled independently, quickly and precisely. And direct yaw-moment control（DYC） has been widely studied and applied to vehicle stability control. Good vehicle handling performance： quick yaw rate transient response, small overshoot, high steady yaw rate gain, etc, is required by drivers under normal conditions, which is less concerned, however. Based on the hierarchical control methodology, a novel control system using direct yaw moment control for improving handling performance of a distributed drive electric vehicle especially under normal driving conditions has been proposed. The upper-loop control system consists of two parts： a state feedback controller, which aims to realize the ideal transient response of yaw rate, with a vehicle sideslip angle observer; and a steering wheel angle feedforward controller designed to achieve a desired yaw rate steady gain. Under the restriction of the effect of poles and zeros in the closed-loop transfer function on the system response and the capacity of in-wheel motors, the integrated time and absolute error（ITAE） function is utilized as the cost function in the optimal control to calculate the ideal eigen frequency and damper coefficient of the system and obtain optimal feedback matrix and feedforward matrix. Simulations and experiments with a DDEV under multiple maneuvers are carried out and show the effectiveness of the proposed method： yaw rate rising time is reduced, steady yaw rate gain is increased, vehicle steering characteristic is close to neutral steer and drivers burdens are also reduced. The control system improves vehicle handling performance under normal conditions in both transient and steady response. State feedback control instead of model following control is introduced in the control system so that the sense of control intervention to drivers is relieved.展开更多
文摘A vortex is intuitively recognized as the rotational/swirling motion of fluids,but a rigorous and universally-accepted definition is still not available.Vorticity tube/filament has been regarded equivalent to a vortex since Helmholtz proposed the concepts of vorticity tube/filament in 1858 and the vorticity-based methods can be categorized as the first generation of vortex identification methods.During the last three decades,a lot of vortex identification methods,including 0,A,and Aci criteria,have been proposed to overcome the problems associated with the vorticity-based methods.Most of these criteria are based on the Cauchy-Stokes decomposition and/or eigenvalues of the velocity gradient tensor and can be considered as the second generation of vortex identification methods.Starting from 2014,the Vortex and Turbulence Research Team at the University of Texas at Arlington(the UTA team)focus on the development of a new generation of vortex identification methods.The first fruit of this effort,a new Omega(/2)vortex identification method,which defined a vortex as a connected region where the vorticity overtakes the deformation,was published in 2016.In 2017 and 2018,a Liutex(previously called Rortex)vector was proposed to provide a mathematical definition of the local rigid rotation part of the fluid motion,including both the local rotational axis and the rotational strength.Liutex/Rortex is a new physical quantity with scalar,vector and tensor forms exactly representing the local rigid rotation of fluids.Meanwhile,a decomposition of the vorticity to a rotational part namely Liutex/Rortex and an anti-symmetric shear part(RS decomposition)was introduced in 2018,and a universal decomposition of the velocity gradient tensor to a rotation part(7?)and a non-rotation part(NR、was also given in 2018 as a counterpart of the traditional Cauchy-Stokes decomposition.Later in early 2019,a Liutex/Rortex based Omega method called Omega-Liutex,which combines the respective advantages of both Liutex/Rortex and Omega methods,was dev
基金This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51261130471).
文摘As a new generation of direct current(DC)transmission technology,voltage sourced converter(VSC)based high voltage direct current(HVDC)has been widely developed and applied all over the world.China has also carried out a deep technical research and engineering application in this area,and at present,it has been stepped into a fast growing period.This paper gives a general review over China’s VSC based HVDC in terms of engineering technology,application and future development.It comprehensively analyzes the technical difficulties and future development orientation on the aspects of the main configurations of VSC based HVDC system,topological structures of converters,control and protection technologies,flexible DC cables,converter valve tests,etc.It introduces the applicable fields and current status of China’s VSC based HVDC projects,and analyzes the application trends of VSC based HVDC projects both in China and all over the world according to the development characteristics and demands of future power grids.
基金support by a project‘ReSoft’(SEN-13/2015)from the Research Council of Lithuaniasupport by JSPS Kakenhi Grant No.15K04637+1 种基金support via ARC Discovery DP120102980Gintas Šlekys for the partnership project with Altechna Ltd on industrial fs-laser fabrication.
文摘Processing of materials by ultrashort laser pulses has evolved significantly over the last decade and is starting to reveal its scientific,technological and industrial potential.In ultrafast laser manufacturing,optical energy of tightly focused femtosecond or picosecond laser pulses can be delivered to precisely defined positions in the bulk of materials via two-/multi-photon excitation on a timescale much faster than thermal energy exchange between photoexcited electrons and lattice ions.Control of photoionization and thermal processes with the highest precision,inducing local photomodification in sub-100-nm-sized regions has been achieved.State-of-the-art ultrashort laser processing techniques exploit high 0.1–1μm spatial resolution and almost unrestricted three-dimensional structuring capability.Adjustable pulse duration,spatiotemporal chirp,phase front tilt and polarization allow control of photomodification via uniquely wide parameter space.Mature opto-electrical/mechanical technologies have enabled laser processing speeds approaching meters-per-second,leading to a fast lab-to-fab transfer.The key aspects and latest achievements are reviewed with an emphasis on the fundamental relation between spatial resolution and total fabrication throughput.Emerging biomedical applications implementing micrometer feature precision over centimeter-scale scaffolds and photonic wire bonding in telecommunications are highlighted.
基金the financial support of Grants CA133791, CA125868, and MH093197 from the National Institutes of Health, United States
文摘The Keap1–Nrf2–ARE pathway is an important antioxidant defense mechanism that protects cells from oxidative stress and the Keap1–Nrf2 protein–protein interaction(PPI) has become an important drug target to upregulate the expression of ARE-controlled cytoprotective oxidative stress response enzymes in the development of therapeutic and preventive agents for a number of diseases and conditions. However, most known Nrf2 activators/ARE inducers are indirect inhibitors of Keap1–Nrf2PPI and they are electrophilic species that act by modifying the sulfhydryl groups of Keap1's cysteine residues. The electrophilicity of these indirect inhibitors may cause "off-target" side effects by reacting with cysteine residues of other important cellular proteins. Efforts have recently been focused on the development of direct inhibitors of Keap1–Nrf2 PPI. This article reviews these recent research efforts including the development of high throughput screening assays, the discovery of peptide and small molecule direct inhibitors, and the biophysical characterization of the binding of these inhibitors to the target Keap1 Kelch domain protein. These non-covalent direct inhibitors of Keap1–Nrf2 PPI could potentially be developed into effective therapeutic or preventive agents for a variety of diseases and conditions.
文摘The presence of particles larger than the permissible dimensions of conventional laboratory specimens causes difficulty in the determination of shear strength of coarse-grained soils. In this research, the influence of particle size on shear strength of coarse-grained soils was investigated by resorting to experimental tests in different scale and numerical simulations based on discrete element method （DEM）. Experimental tests on such soil specimens were based on using the techniques designated as ＂parallel＂ and ＂scalping＂ to prepare gradation of samples in view of the limitation of laboratory specimen size. As a second approach, the direct shear test was numerically simulated on assemblies of elliptical particles. The behaviors of samples under experimental and numerical tests are presented and compared, indicating that the modification of sample gradation has a significant influence on the mechanical properties of coarse-grained soils. It is noted that the shear strengths of samples produced by the scalping method are higher than samples by the parallel method. The scalping method for preparing specimens for direct shear test is therefore recommended. The micromechanical behavior of assemblies under direct shear test is also discussed and the effects of stress level on sample behavior are investigated.
文摘In order to solve the difficult problem of typhoon track prediction due to the sparsity of conventional data over the tropical ocean, in this paper, the No. 0205 typhoon Rammasun of 4-6 July 2002 is studied and an experiment of the typhoon track prediction is made with the direct use of the Advanced TIROS-N Operational Vertical Sounder (ATOVS) microwave radiance data in three-dimensional variational data assimilation. The prediction result shows that the experiment with the ATOVS microwave radiance data can not only successfully predict the observed fact that typhoon Rammasun moves northward and turns right, but can also simulate the action of the fast movement of the typhoon, which cannot be simulated with only conventional radiosonde data. The skill of the typhoon track prediction with the ATOVS microwave radiance data is much better than that without the ATOVS data. The typhoon track prediction of the former scheme is consistent in time and in location with the observation. The direct assimilation of ATOVS microwave radiance data is an available way to solve the problem of the sparse observation data over the tropical ocean, and has great potential in being applied to typhoon track prediction.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant Nos 10604008 and 10435020） and the Beijing Education Committee （Grant No XK100270454）.
文摘This paper presents a scheme for quantum secure direct communication with quantum encryption. The two authorized users use repeatedly a sequence of the pure entangled pairs （quantum key） shared for encrypting and decrypting the secret message carried by the travelling photons directly. For checking eavesdropping, the two parties perform the single-photon measurements on some decoy particles before each round. This scheme has the advantage that the pure entangled quantum signal source is feasible at present and any eavesdropper cannot steal the message.
基金This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology Grant （2001CB510106）；Science and Technology Plan of Beijing Municipal Government （H020220050290）；National Natural Science Foundation of China Awards for 0utstanding Young Scientists （30125022）；for Creative Research Groups （30421004）；Bill ＆ Melinda Gates Foundation Grant （37871） to H Deng.
文摘The capacity for self-renewal and differentiation of human embryonic stem （ES） cells makes them a potential source for generation of pancreatic beta cells for treating type I diabetes mellitus. Here, we report a newly developed and effective method, carried out in a serum-free system, which induced human ES cells to differentiate into insulin-producing cells. Activin A was used in the initial stage to induce definitive endoderm differentiation from human ES cells, as detected by the expression of the definitive endoderm markers Sox17 and Brachyury. Further, all-trans retinoic acid （RA） was used to promote pancreatic differentiation, as indicated by the expression of the early pancreatic transcription factors pdxl and hlxb9. After maturation in DMEM/F12 serum-free medium with bFGF and nicotinamide, the differentiated cells expressed islet specific markers such as C-peptide, insulin, glucagon and glut2. The percentage of C-peptide-positive cells exceeded 15%. The secretion of insulin and C-peptide by these cells corresponded to the variations in glucose levels. When transplanted into renal capsules of Streptozotocin （STZ）-treated nude mice, these differentiated human ES cells survived and maintained the expression of beta cell marker genes, including C-peptide, pdxl, glucokinase, nkx6.1, lAPP, pax6 and Tcfl. Thirty percent of the transplanted nude mice exhibited apparent restoration of stable euglycemia; and the corrected phenotype was sustained for more than six weeks. Our new method provides a promising in vitro differentiation model for studying the mechanisms of human pancreas development and illustrates the potential of using human ES cells for the treatment of type I diabetes mellitus.
基金supported by the Major International(Regional)Joint Research Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81820108013(to LMC)the General Research Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81772453(to DSX)the National Key Research and Development Program of China,No.2016YFA0100800(to LMC)
文摘Spinal cord injury is linked to the interruption of neural pathways,which results in irreversible neural dysfunction.Neural repair and neuroregeneration are critical goals and issues for rehabilitation in spinal cord injury,which require neural stem cell repair and multimodal neuromodulation techniques involving personalized rehabilitation strategies.Besides the involvement of endogenous stem cells in neurogenesis and neural repair,exogenous neural stem cell transplantation is an emerging effective method for repairing and replacing damaged tissues in central nervous system diseases.However,to ensure that endogenous or exogenous neural stem cells truly participate in neural repair following spinal cord injury,appropriate interventional measures(e.g.,neuromodulation)should be adopted.Neuromodulation techniques,such as noninvasive magnetic stimulation and electrical stimulation,have been safely applied in many neuropsychiatric diseases.There is increasing evidence to suggest that neuromagnetic/electrical modulation promotes neuroregeneration and neural repair by affecting signaling in the nervous system;namely,by exciting,inhibiting,or regulating neuronal and neural network activities to improve motor function and motor learning following spinal cord injury.Several studies have indicated that fine motor skill rehabilitation training makes use of residual nerve fibers for collateral growth,encourages the formation of new synaptic connections to promote neural plasticity,and improves motor function recovery in patients with spinal cord injury.With the development of biomaterial technology and biomechanical engineering,several emerging treatments have been developed,such as robots,brain-computer interfaces,and nanomaterials.These treatments have the potential to help millions of patients suffering from motor dysfunction caused by spinal cord injury.However,large-scale clinical trials need to be conducted to validate their efficacy.This review evaluated the efficacy of neural stem cells and magnetic or electrical stimu
文摘AIM To estimate annual direct and indirect costs for patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) and subtypes.METHODS Patients completed a standardized questionnaire concerning usage of healthcare resources, travel costs, meals, and productivity loss of patients when seeking treatment for IBS. Total annual costs per patient were calculated as the sum of direct(including medical and nonmedical) and indirect costs. Total annual costs per patient among various IBS subtypes were compared. Analysis of variance and bootstrapped independent sample t-tests were performed to determine differences between groups after controlling for IBS subtypes.RESULTS A total of 105 IBS patients(64.80% female), mean age of 57.12 years ± 10.31 years), mean disease duration of 4.31 years ± 5.40 years, were included. Total annual costs per patient were estimated as CNy18262.84(USD2933.08). Inpatient and outpatient healthcare use were major cost drivers, accounting for 46.41%and 23.36% of total annual costs, respectively. Productivity loss accounted for 25.32% of total annual costs. The proportions of direct and indirect costs were similarto published studies in other countries. Nationally, the total costs of managing IBS would amount to CNy123.83 billion(USD1.99 billion). Among the IBS subtypes, total annual costs per patient of IBS-M was highest at CNy18891.18(USD3034). Furthermore, there was significant difference in productivity loss among IBS subtypes(P = 0.031).CONCLUSION IBS imposes a huge economic burden on patients and healthcare systems, which could account for 3.3% of the total healthcare budget for the entire Chinese nation. More than two-thirds of total annual costs of IBS consist of inpatient and outpatient healthcare use. Among the subtypes, IBS-M patients appear to have the greatest economic burden but require further confirmation.
基金This work is sponsored by Department of Commerce,State of Washington,and US Department of Energy,USA,through the Transactive Campus Energy Systems project,in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Lab and University of Washington.
文摘This paper reviews the state of the art of research and industry practice on demand response and the new methodology of transactive energy. Demand response programs incentivize consumers to align their demand with power supply conditions, enhancing power system reliability and economic operation. The design of demand response programs, performance of pilot projects and programs, consumer behaviors, and barriers are discussed.Transactive energy is a variant and a generalized form of demand response in that it manages both the supply and demand sides. It is intended for a changing environment with an increasing number of distributed resources and intelligent devices. It utilizes the flexibility of various generation/load resources to maintain a dynamic balance of supply and demand. These distributed resources are controlled by their owners. However, the design of transaction mechanisms should align the individual behaviors with the interests of the entire system. Transactive energy features real-time, autonomous, and decentralized decision making.The transition from demand response to transactive energy is also discussed.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(6107210761271300)+4 种基金the Shaanxi Industry Surmount Foundation(2012K06-12)the Arm and Equipment Pre-research Foundationthe Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China(K0551302006K5051202045K50511020024)
文摘For the joint time difference of arrival（TDOA） and angle of arrival（AOA） location scene,two methods are proposed based on the rectangular coordinates and the polar coordinates,respectively.The problem is solved perfectly by calculating the target position with the joint TDOA and AOA location.On the condition of rectangular coordinates,first of all,it figures out the radial range between target and reference stations,then calculates the location of the target.In the case of polar coordinates,first of all,it figures out the azimuth between target and reference stations,then figures out the radial range between target and reference stations,finally obtains the location of the target.Simultaneously,simulation analyses show that the theoretical analysis is correct,and the proposed methods also provide the application of the joint TDOA and AOA location algorithm with the theoretical basis.
文摘The direct anterior approach to the hip has been suggested to have several advantages compared to previously popular approaches through its use of an intra-muscular and intra-nervous interval betweenthe tensor fasciae latae and sartorius muscles. Recent increased interest in tissue-sparing and minimallyinvasive arthroplasty has given rise to a sharp increase in the utilization of direct anterior total hip arthroplasty. A number of variations of the procedure have been described and several authors have published their experiences and feedback to successfully accomplishing this procedure. Additionally, improved understanding of relevant soft tissue constraints and anatomic variants has provided improved margin of safety for patients. The procedure may be performed using speciallydesigned instruments and a fracture table, however many authors have also described equally efficacious performance using a regular table and standard arthroplasty tools. The capacity to utilize fluoroscopy intraoperatively for component positioning is a valuable asset to the approach and can be of particular benefit for surgeons gaining familiarity. Proper management of patient and limb positioning are vital to reducing risk of intra-operative complications. An understanding of its limitations and challenges are also critical to safe employment. This review summarizes the key features of the direct anterior approach for total hip arthroplasty as an aid to improving the understanding of this important and effective method for modern hip replacement surgeons.
基金This work is supported by UK EPSRC and UK National Grid.
文摘This paper investigates a control and protection strategy for a four-terminal modular multilevel converter(MMC)based high-voltage direct current(HVDC)system under a converter-side AC fault.Based on the system operating condition,a control and protection strategy against the fault with normal blocking of the converter is proposed.In practical,applications encountering such a fault,the MMC at the fault side may experience different conditions of blocking failure.The blocking failures may occur on:①the whole converter;②one converter arm;③one sub-module(SM)/several SMs of one converter arm;④other conditions.The phenomenon of the multi-terminal HVDC(MTDC)system following the fault is analyzed under the first three conditions with real-time simulations using the real-time digital simulator(RTDS).Based on the impact of different conditions on the MTDC system,the necessity of utilizing special control and protection is discussed.A special control and protection strategy is proposed for emergency conditions,and its effectiveness is verified by real-time simulation results.
基金financially supported by the Shanghai Foundation of Excellent Young University Teachersthe Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(13ZR1415100,13JC1402700,14195800600)the Science and Technology Development Fund of Pudong New Area(PKJ2012-C05)
文摘Calcium sulfate hemihydrate （CSH） whiskers were synthesized by phase transition in CaCl2 solution under atmospheric pressure. Analytical-grade calcium sulfate dihydrate （AR CSD） was used as the raw material for the synthesis of CSH whiskers, according to orthogonal experiments. The effects of reaction tem- perature, AR CSD content, H2SO4 content, and reaction time were investigated, and the crystallization conditions were optimized. The as-prepared CSH whiskers displayed a regular morphology and a highly uniform size, with an aspect ratio of 105, A simulation system was also established by blending various sulfates with AR CSD, to evaluate the effects of impurities in flue gas desulfurization （FGD） gypsum. The main aim was to prepare CSH whiskers directly from FGD gypsum, without any purification, using the optimized conditions. This is a facile potential alternative process for large-scale production of CSH whiskers using abundant FGD gypsum as source materials.
基金Supported by National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program,Grant No.2011CB711200)National Science and Technology Support Program of China(Grant No.2015BAG17B00)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51475333)
文摘For a distributed drive electric vehicle（DDEV） driven by four in-wheel motors, advanced vehicle dynamic control methods can be realized easily because motors can be controlled independently, quickly and precisely. And direct yaw-moment control（DYC） has been widely studied and applied to vehicle stability control. Good vehicle handling performance： quick yaw rate transient response, small overshoot, high steady yaw rate gain, etc, is required by drivers under normal conditions, which is less concerned, however. Based on the hierarchical control methodology, a novel control system using direct yaw moment control for improving handling performance of a distributed drive electric vehicle especially under normal driving conditions has been proposed. The upper-loop control system consists of two parts： a state feedback controller, which aims to realize the ideal transient response of yaw rate, with a vehicle sideslip angle observer; and a steering wheel angle feedforward controller designed to achieve a desired yaw rate steady gain. Under the restriction of the effect of poles and zeros in the closed-loop transfer function on the system response and the capacity of in-wheel motors, the integrated time and absolute error（ITAE） function is utilized as the cost function in the optimal control to calculate the ideal eigen frequency and damper coefficient of the system and obtain optimal feedback matrix and feedforward matrix. Simulations and experiments with a DDEV under multiple maneuvers are carried out and show the effectiveness of the proposed method： yaw rate rising time is reduced, steady yaw rate gain is increased, vehicle steering characteristic is close to neutral steer and drivers burdens are also reduced. The control system improves vehicle handling performance under normal conditions in both transient and steady response. State feedback control instead of model following control is introduced in the control system so that the sense of control intervention to drivers is relieved.
