Preparation,characterization, and influence of polyurea coatings on their layered composite materials based on flexible rebonded polyurethane

Preparation and characterization of a series of polyurea (PU) coatings and their influences on layered composite materials based on rebonded polyurethane (PUr) for floor application are described in terms of the raw materials, formulation, and application performance. While PU coatings show almost the same FTIR peaks, thermogravimetric analyses results reveal that thermal stabilities of the PU coatings are slightly enhanced with the use of trifunctional polyamine compound and one step degradation takes place beyond 300°C. All PU coatings have very dense, smooth, and bubble-free surfaces whereas the cross-sectional SEM images exhibit pores of different sizes. Contact angle values of all PU coatings are bigger than 90° indicating that the surfaces are hydrophobic. Using propylene carbonate in the preparation of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) prepolymer and the chain extender in the PU coating formulation impacts the mechanical and electrical properties of the PU coatings as well as layered PU/PUr composite materials. In conclusion, not only the controllable physicochemical and mechanical properties of layered PUr/PU composites but also the usage potential of recycled PU scraps in these layered composites are very promising for better floor applications.     

Integrated connection-level and packet-level QoS controls over wireless mesh networks

This paper focuses on integrating connection-level and packet-level QoS controls over wireless mesh network (WMN) to support applications with diverse QoS performance requirements. At the connection-level, the dynamic guard based prioritized connection admission control (DG-PCAC) provides prioritized admission with relative connection blocking probabilities and end-to-end deterministic minimum bandwidth allocation guarantees. DG-PCAC is enabled by dynamic guard based logical link configuration controls (LCCs), which provides relative differentiated capacity limits for prioritized admission classes. At the packet-level, the optimal rate delay scheduler (ORDS) dynamically allocates link bandwidth to the admitted flows of prioritized traffic classes; with the objective to minimize deviation from relative delay targets with minimum bandwidth guarantees according to traffic classes. Two realizations of the ORDS are presented, namely optimal scheduling policy via dynamic programming (DP) algorithm, and neural network (NN) based heuristic to alleviate computational complexity. Performance results show that the DG-PCAC enables consistent performance guarantees under non-stationary arrivals of connection requests. Performance results also show that the performance of the NN based scheduling heuristic approaches to that of the DP based optimal ORDS scheme.     

Drilling performance analysis of drill column machine using proposed neural networks

Air-ratio is an important engine parameter that relates closely to engine emissions, power, and brake-specific fuel consumption. Model predictive controller (MPC) is a well-known technique for air-ratio control. This paper utilizes an advanced modelling technique, called online sequential extreme learning machine (OSELM), to develop an online sequential extreme learning machine MPC (OEMPC) for air-ratio regulation according to various engine loads. The proposed OEMPC was implemented on a real engine to verify its effectiveness. Its control performance is also compared with the latest MPC for engine air-ratio control, namely diagonal recurrent neural network MPC, and conventional proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller. Experimental results show the superiority of the proposed OEMPC over the other two controllers, which can more effectively regulate the air-ratio to specific target values under external disturbance. Therefore, the proposed OEMPC is a promising scheme to replace conventional PID controller for engine air-ratio control.     

Gold‐Coated Fe3O4 Nanoroses with Five Unique Functions for Cancer Cell Targeting,Imaging, and Therapy

The development of nanomaterials that combine diagnostic and therapeutic functions within a single nanoplatform is extremely important for molecular medicine. Molecular imaging with simultaneous diagnosis and therapy will provide the multimodality needed for accurate diagnosis and targeted therapy. Here, gold‐coated iron oxide (Fe₃O₄@Au) nanoroses with five distinct functions are demonstrated, integrating aptamer‐based targeting, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), optical imaging, photothermal therapy. and chemotherapy into one single probe. The inner Fe₃O₄ core functions as an MRI agent, while the photothermal effect is achieved through near‐infrared absorption by the gold shell, causing a rapid rise in temperature and also resulting in a facilitated release of the anticancer drug doxorubicin carried by the nanoroses. Where the doxorubicin is released, it is monitored by its fluorescence. Aptamers immobilized on the surfaces of the nanoroses enable efficient and selective drug delivery, imaging, and photothermal effect with high specificity. The five‐function‐embedded nanoroses show great advantages in multimodality.     

On the Extreme Streamflow Drought Analysis

A procedure, based on the distribution of the largest streamflowdrought deficit and on the composite hydrograph recession curve, is proposed for the derivation of the n-year streamflow drought,for the cases for which the assumption of identical deficit and duration frequencies is not valid, for a given river at a given location.The present article is a continuation of the previous work of Zelenhasic on the extremes of low flows. The previous streamflowdrought stochastic model dealt with the situation where theirexists the equality of probability of occurrence of extreme droughtdeficit and extreme drought duration, i.e. the assumption ofidentical deficit and duration frequencies. In practice, thecondition of identical frequencies is often mitigated by the lessstringent condition of approximate frequencies. The present articleanalyzes the situation in which there is no equality of probabilityof occurrence of extreme drought deficit and extreme droughtduration. Or, to be more specific, this method has no constraintssuch as the assumption of identical deficit and duration frequencies. The earlier theoretical explanations of the individualstreamflow drought components of the method of streamflow droughtstochastic process are completely valid in this paper, as well. Themethod has been applied in this paper to data from gaging stationson the Sava River at Srem. Mitrovica, the Drava River at D.Miholjac and the Danube River at Bezdan. The application of theprocedure has shown that the method is simple, reliable and efficient.     

Implications of circadian clocks for the rhythmic delivery of cancer therapeutics

The circadian timing system (CTS) controls drug metabolism and cellular proliferation over the 24 hour day through molecular clocks in each cell. These cellular clocks are coordinated by a hypothalamic pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nuclei, that generates or controls circadian physiology. The CTS plays a role in cancer processes and their treatments through the downregulation of malignant growth and the generation of large and predictable 24 hour changes in toxicity and efficacy of anti-cancer drugs. The tight interactions between circadian clocks, cell division cycle and pharmacology pathways have supported sinusoidal circadian-based delivery of cancer treatments. Such chronotherapeutics have been mostly implemented in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, the second most common cause of death from cancer. Stochastic and deterministic models of the interactions between circadian clock, cell cycle and pharmacology confirmed the poor therapeutic value of both constant-rate and wrongly timed chronomodulated infusions. An automaton model for the cell cycle revealed the critical roles of variability in circadian entrainment and cell cycle phase durations in healthy tissues and tumours for the success of properly timed circadian delivery schedules. The models showed that additional therapeutic strategy further sets the constraints for the identification of the most effective chronomodulated schedules.     

GaSb Thermophotovoltaic Cells Grown on GaAs Substrate Using the Interfacial Misfit Array Method

We present gallium antimonide (GaSb) p–i–n photodiodes for use as thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cells grown on gallium arsenide (100) substrates using the interfacial misfit array method. Devices were grown using molecular beam epitaxy and fabricated using standard microfabrication processes. X-ray diffraction was used to measure the strain, and current–voltage (I–V) tests were performed to determine the photovoltaic properties of the TPV cells. Energy generation at low efficiencies was achieved, and device performance was critically analyzed.     

Adhesion of orthodontic brackets to indirect laboratory-processed resin composite as a function of surface conditioning methods and artificial aging

This study compared the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets to laboratory-processed indirect resin composites (IRC) after different surface conditioning methods and aging. Specimens made of IRC (Gradia Indirect, GC) (thickness: 2 mm; diameter: 10 mm) (N = 80) were randomly assigned to one of the following surface conditioning methods: C – Control: no treatment; AA – Air-abrasion (50 μm Al₂O₃ particles); DB – Diamond bur and HF – Etching with hydrofluoric acid (9.6%). After adhesive primer application (Transbond XT), orthodontic brackets were bonded to the conditioned IRC specimens using adhesive resin (Transbond XT). Following storage in artificial saliva for 24 h at 37 °C, the specimens were thermocycled (×1000, 5–55 °C). The IRC–bracket interface was loaded under shear in a Universal Testing Machine (0.5 mm/min). Failure types were classified using modified adhesive remnant index criteria. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey`s HSD (α = 0.05). Surface conditioning method did not significantly affect the bond strength results (p = 0.2020), but aging significantly decreased the results (p = 0.04). Interaction terms were not significant (p = 0.775). In both non-aged and aged conditions, non-conditioned C group presented the lowest bond strength results (MPa) (p < 0.05). In non-aged conditions, surface conditioning with DB (8.03 ± 0.77) and HF (7.87 ± 0.64) showed significantly higher bond strength results compared to those of other groups (p < 0.05). Thermocycling significantly decreased the mean bond strength in all groups (2.24 ± 0.36–6.21 ± 0.59) (p < 0.05). The incidence of Score 5 (all adhesive resin remaining on the specimen) was the highest in HF group without (80%) and with aging (80%) followed by DB (40, 70%, respectively). C groups without and with aging showed exclusively Score 1 type (no adhesive resin on the specimen) of failures indicating the least reliable type of adhesion.     

Synthesis and characterization of amino acid containing Cu(II) chelated nanoparticles for lysozyme adsorption

Immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) is a useful method for adsorption of proteins that have an affinity for transition metal ions. In this study, poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-methacryloyl-l-tryptophan) (PHEMATrp) nanoparticles were prepared by surfactant free emulsion polymerization. Then, Cu(II) ions were chelated on the PHEMATrp nanoparticles to be used in lysozyme adsorption studies in batch system. The maximum lysozyme adsorption capacity of the PHEMATrp nanoparticles was found to be 326.9 mg/g polymer at pH 7.0. The nonspecific lysozyme adsorption onto the PHEMA nanoparticles was negligible. In terms of protein desorption, it was observed that adsorbed lysozyme was readily desorbed in medium containing 1.0 M NaCl. The results showed that the metal-chelated PHEMATrp nanoparticles can be considered as a good adsorbent for lysozyme purification.