A comment on "On equilibria, stability, and instability of Hopfield neural networks" [and reply]

It is pointed out that the main analysis results about the existence, uniqueness, and global asymptotic stability of the equilibrium of a continuous-time Hopfield type neural network given in the paper by Zhi-Hong Guan et al. (2000) are special cases of relevant ones previously obtained in the literature. In reply the original authors consider the reasoning of Xue-Bin Liang's comments and state that their analysis method is in fact different to existing ones.     

Solution NMR characterization of hydrogen bonds in a protein by indirect measurement of deuterium quadrupole couplings

Hydrogen bonds stabilize protein and nucleic acid structure, but little direct spectroscopic data have been available for characterizing these critical interactions in biological macromolecules. It is demonstrated that the electric field gradient at the nucleus of an amide hydrogen can be determined residue-specific by measurement of 15N NMR relaxation times in proteins dissolved in D2O, and uniformly enriched with 13C and 15N. In D2O, all backbone amide protons can be exchanged with solvent deuterons, and the T1 relaxation rate of a deuteron is dominated by its quadrupole coupling constant (QCC), which is directly proportional to the electric field gradient at the nucleus. 2HN T1 relaxation can be measured quantitatively through its effect on the T2 relaxation of its directly attached 15N. QCC values calculated from 2HN T1 and previously reported spectral densities correlate with the inverse cube of the X-ray crystal structure-derived hydrogen bond lengths: QCC = 228 + Sigmai 130 cos alphai/ri3 kHz, where alpha is the N-H...Oi angle and r is the backbone-backbone (N-)H...Oi(=C) hydrogen bond distance in angstroms.     

Comparison of Tensile Properties of Carbon Fiber,Basalt Fiber and Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Composites Under Various Strain Rates

Applied Composite Materials - Carbon fiber reinforced epoxy (CFRE) and basalt fiber reinforced epoxy (BFRE) are used widely in automotive, navy due to their excellent mechanical performance. In...     

Verifiable metamodels for nitrate losses to drains and groundwater in the Corn Belt, USA

Nitrate leaching in the unsaturated zone poses a risk to groundwater, whereas nitrate in tile drainage is conveyed directly to streams. We developed metamodels (MMs) consisting of artificial neural networks to simplify and upscale mechanistic fate and transport models for prediction of nitrate losses by drains and leaching in the Corn Belt, USA. The two final MMs predicted nitrate concentration and flux, respectively, in the shallow subsurface. Because each MM considered both tile drainage and leaching, they represent an integrated approach to vulnerability assessment. The MMs used readily available data comprising farm fertilizer nitrogen (N), weather data, and soil properties as inputs; therefore, they were well suited for regional extrapolation. The MMs effectively related the outputs of the underlying mechanistic model (Root Zone Water Quality Model) to the inputs (R(2) = 0.986 for the nitrate concentration MM). Predicted nitrate concentration was compared with measured nitrate in 38 samples of recently recharged groundwater, yielding a Pearson's r of 0.466 (p = 0.003). Predicted nitrate generally was higher than that measured in groundwater, possibly as a result of the time-lag for modern recharge to reach well screens, denitrification in groundwater, or interception of recharge by tile drains. In a qualitative comparison, predicted nitrate concentration also compared favorably with results from a previous regression model that predicted total N in streams.     

基于PFC2D对煤柱工作面综放工艺优化分析

以王庄煤矿43M1煤柱工作面为例,通过采用PFC2D颗粒元程序对煤柱工作面开采时顶煤放出率进行模拟分析,进而优化综放工艺参数.得出双轮顺序顶煤放出率为84.6%;单轮顺序顶煤放出率为82.8%;单轮间隔顶煤放出率为79.5%,故选用双轮顺序放顶煤.放煤步距为0.8 m时,顶煤放出率85.22%;放煤步距为1.6 m时,顶煤放出率81.31%;放煤步距为2.4 m时,顶煤放出率74.47%,故选用一刀一放的放煤方式.经井下现场数据记录分析后,综放工作面的开采工艺采用单向割煤端部斜切进刀的方式将更利于生产.     

石灰岩顶板综采工作面水力压裂放顶技术实践

为了解决石灰岩顶板工作面来压步距大,进、回风隅角悬顶面积大,瓦斯易积聚的问题,通过在工作面切眼和两顺槽布置水力压裂钻孔,对工作面坚硬顶板进行高压致裂弱化顶板,并进行工业试验。结果表明:采用水力压裂治理顶板后,工作面老顶初次来压步距28.5周期来压步距13.8 m,进、回风隅角悬顶面积为4-8m2,坚硬顶板得到有效弱化。     

A simple approach for improving high-temperature mechanical and insulation performance in chamotte with added zircon

Chamotte is one of the most commonly used raw materials for aluminosilicate refractories. The present work concerns the high-temperature performance of the chamotte-zircon composite. The crystalline phase, mechanical property, and thermal conductivity were evaluated. In addition, the finite element method was applied to analyze stress distribution. Zircon accelerated the melting of cristobalite in chamotte during sintering. After adding zircon, a drastic elastic modulus change at about 230°C was avoided, and the infrared shielding effect of zircon reduced the thermal conductivity when the temperature was greater than 500°C. At last, based on the results of finite element method, increasing zircon content reduced stress concentration.