Exploring Molecular Contacts of MUC1 at CIN85 Binding Interface to Address Future Drug Design Efforts

The modulation of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) by small molecules represents a valuable strategy for pharmacological intervention in several human diseases. In this context, computer-aided drug discovery techniques offer useful resources to predict the network of interactions governing the recognition process between protein partners, thus furnishing relevant information for the design of novel PPI modulators. In this work, we focused our attention on the MUC1-CIN85 complex as a crucial PPI controlling cancer progression and metastasis. MUC1 is a transmembrane glycoprotein whose extracellular domain contains a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs) regions that are highly glycosylated in normal cells and under-glycosylated in cancer. The hypo-glycosylation fosters the exposure of the backbone to new interactions with other proteins, such as CIN85, that alter the intracellular signalling in tumour cells. Herein, different computational approaches were combined to investigate the molecular recognition pattern of MUC1-CIN85 PPI thus unveiling new structural information useful for the design of MUC1-CIN85 PPI inhibitors as potential anti-metastatic agents.     

Domain reversal and current transport property in BiFeO3 films

The electrical properties and domain reversal in BiFeO₃ ferroelectric films were studied using sandwiched heterostructures and piezoresponse force microscopy. A robust polarization state was observed, combined with a switchable domain pattern and a remanent polarization of approximately 100 μC cm^?2. In addition, domain reversal was explored using scanning probe microscopy. The results show that dipoles could be reversed along the direction of the electric field under a negative tip bias, leading to carrier gathering near the domain walls. The enhanced conductivity near the domain walls was owing to the discontinuous polarization boundary conditions. In addition, typical diode-like current transport properties are sensitive to various temperature conditions, which is attributed to the Schottky barriers at the contact interface. These findings extend the current understanding of domain texture reversal in ferroelectric films and shed light on their potential applications for future ferroelectric random-access memory operations over a wide temperature range.     

Optimal carbon reduction level and ordering quantity under financial constraints

Carbon tax policy is widely adopted by many countries to curb carbon emissions. In the context of carbon tax policy, firms have more incentive to improve carbon reduction levels by reducing their carbon tax costs. However, firms need to bear carbon reduction costs that may cause shortage of capital. Thus, firms may face problems of financial constraints, which may demotivate firms to produce greener products. To address the decision‐making challenges of firms in the contexts of carbon tax policy and financial constraints, we consider a supply chain with a manufacturer who produces green products and a retailer who sells these products. Our study develops five models to investigate the two firms’ optimal wholesale price, carbon reduction level and ordering quantity, according to the manufacturer and retailer with or without financial constraints. Our goal in this study is to explore how carbon tax policy and banks’ interest rates affect the profits of the two firms, supply chain and consumer surplus. Certain managerial insights are obtained as follows. We demonstrate that carbon tax policy and banks’ interest rates demotivate the manufacturer to produce greener products and demotivate the retailer to order more products. If the interest rate to the manufacturer (retailer) is relatively low, then the manufacturer with financial constraint benefits (harms) the consumers compared with the retailer with financial constraint. Importantly, our analysis suggests that carbon tax policy harms the firms but benefits consumers, and the government in some conditions should reduce unit carbon tax.     

Room-temperature multiferroic characteristics and unique vortex domain structures of h-Yb1−xInxFeO3 solid solutions

Hexagonal rare-earth ferrites (h-RFeO₃) have attracted much scientific attention due to their room-temperature multiferroicity. However, it is still a hard job to obtain h-RFeO₃ bulk materials because of the meta-stability of such hexagonal phase, and the evaluation of room-temperature ferroelectric and magnetoelectric characteristics in such materials is also a challengeable issue. In the present work, Yb_1−xIn_xFeO₃ ceramics with the stable hexagonal structure were obtained by introducing chemical pressure, where the unique ferroelectric domain structures of sixfold vortex combined with tenfold vortex with a typical size of ~400 nm were determined. Symmetry of the present system evolved from centrosymmetric orthorhombic Pbnm (x = 0–0.4) to non-centrosymmetric hexagonal P6₃cm (x = 0.5 and 0.6) with a ferroelectric polarization up to 3.2 μC/cm², and finally to centrosymmetric hexagonal P6₃/mmc (x = 0.7 and 0.8). The Curie point decreased monotonically from 723 K to a temperature below room temperature with increasing x, and the antiferromagnetic phase transition above room temperature was determined for all compositions. Meanwhile, a large linear magnetoelectric coefficient (α_ME) up to 0.96 mV/cm Oe was obtained at room temperature, and this indicated the great application potential for magnetoelectric devices.     

防振条约束失效对蒸汽发生器传热管面内流弹失稳的影响研究

根据防振条布置以及面内支承连续失效个数，将防振条面内约束失效分析划分为多种工况，分析了不同工况下面内约束失效对传热管面内模态的影响，采用各位置阻尼在振型函数上进行加权平均的方法计算了各阶模态的阻尼比，进而研究了防振条面内不同约束对传热管面内流弹失稳的影响。分析结果表明，随着面内支承连续失效位置的增多，弯管段面内首阶模态频率不断降低，出现在弯管段的振型越加明显；弯管段面内首阶模态不一定是最大流弹失稳比值出现的模态，最大流弹失稳比值出现模态的振型几乎都出现在弯管段；随着面内支承连续失效位置的增多，面内流弹失稳比值不断增大，当连续3个及以上防振条面内约束失效时，将出现流弹失稳现象。     

When is it reasonable to implement the discontinuous sliding‐mode controllers instead of the continuous ones? Frequency domain criteria

Professor Utkin proposed an example showing that the amplitude of chattering caused by the presence of parasitic dynamics (stable actuators) in some systems governed by the First‐Order Sliding‐Mode Controller is lower than that produced by the Super‐Twisting Algorithm. This example served to motivate this paper reconsidering the problem of comparison of chattering in systems with stable actuators, and driven by Discontinuous Sliding‐Mode Controllers (DSMCs) and Continuous Sliding‐Mode Controllers (CSMCs). Comparison of chattering produced by DSMC and CSMC taking into account their amplitudes, frequencies, and average power (AP) needed to maintain the system into real‐sliding modes, allowing to conclude the following: (i) for systems with slow actuators, the amplitude of oscillations and AP produced by DSMC be smaller than those caused by CSMC; (ii) for bounded disturbances with fixed Lipschitz constant, there exist sufficiently fast actuators for which the amplitude of oscillations and AP produced by CSMC be smaller than those caused by DSMC.     

Human–Cyber–Physical Systems (HCPSs) in the Context of New-Generation Intelligent Manufacturing

An intelligent manufacturing system is a composite intelligent system comprising humans, cyber systems, and physical systems with the aim of achieving specific manufacturing goals at an optimized level. This kind of intelligent system is called a human–cyber–physical system (HCPS). In terms of technology, HCPSs can both reveal technological principles and form the technological architecture for intelligent manufacturing. It can be concluded that the essence of intelligent manufacturing is to design, construct, and apply HCPSs in various cases and at different levels. With advances in information technology, intelligent manufacturing has passed through the stages of digital manufacturing and digital-networked manufacturing, and is evolving toward new-generation intelligent manufacturing (NGIM). NGIM is characterized by the in-depth integration of new-generation artificial intelligence (AI) technology (i.e., enabling technology) with advanced manufacturing technology (i.e., root technology); it is the core driving force of the new industrial revolution. In this study, the evolutionary footprint of intelligent manufacturing is reviewed from the perspective of HCPSs, and the implications, characteristics, technical frame, and key technologies of HCPSs for NGIM are then discussed in depth. Finally, an outlook of the major challenges of HCPSs for NGIM is proposed.     

虚拟手交互中约束类物体操作研究

虚拟手技术是虚拟现实技术中的一种交互方式，是指通过手势识别技术将人的真实手映射到虚拟环境中并与虚拟物体进行交互操作的人机交互方式。主要应用于虚拟训练、虚拟手术和虚拟装配等领域。对虚拟手交互的约束类对象进行了研究，提出了基于运动学的约束类物体操作方法，解决了阀门类有约束物体交互中虚拟手姿态不真实、操作不可控的问题。设计实验验证了基于运动学的方法能以符合实际操作的效果完成虚拟现实系统中的操作任务，可以应用到虚拟训练、虚拟装配等仿真平台。     

域名管理体系与注册保护初探

域名具有重要的品牌价值,研究域名管理体系有利于开展域名注册与保护。现行域名注册规则容易导致域名与字号、商标、姓名等传统权利的冲突。互联网域种类繁多、层级结构复杂,企业应当建立域名注册评估机制、抢注侵权监测机制,加强域名注册与维权保护。     

波浪荷载作用下海上新型潜式浮式风力机运动特性研究

以适用于中等水深(50~200 m)的新型潜式浮式风力机为研究对象,该风力机基础综合Spar式、半潜式及张力腿(TLP)3类浮式风力机基础的优点,运行时基础主体淹没在水下,具有较小的水线面(如同Spar平台),受波浪影响较小;平台通过张紧式系泊线与海床相连(如同TLP平台),具有良好的垂荡和摇摆运动特性;拖航状态下,浮式平台处于半潜状态,水线面面积大(如同半潜式平台),具有良好的浮稳性。通过分析不同波况下的潜式浮式风力机耦合动力响应得到潜式浮式基础的横荡、纵荡、垂荡及纵摇运动响应,以及发电功率、叶片根部弯矩、塔筒顶部和底部弯矩、锚链张力时程曲线。研究结果表明:波浪对于结构的纵摇运动的影响最为明显,对发电功率、叶片根部弯矩和塔筒顶部弯矩影响较小,对塔筒底部弯矩和系泊线张力影响较大。