The decision-making properties of discrete multiple exponentialbidirectional associative memories

A method for modeling the learning of belief combination in evidential reasoning using a neural network is presented. A centralized network composed of multiple exponential bidirectional associative memories (eBAM's) sharing a single output array of neurons is proposed to process the uncertainty management of many pieces of evidence simultaneously. The stability of the proposed multiple eBAM network is proved. The sufficient condition to recall a stored pattern pair is discussed. Most important of all, a majority rule of decision making in presentation of multiple evidence is also found by the study of signal-noise-ratio of multiple eBAM network. A guaranteed stable state condition, i.e., the condition for the fastest recall of a pattern pair, is also studied. The result is coherent with the intuition of reasoning.     

Drag on two co-axial rigid spheres moving normal to a plane: Newtonian and Carreau fluids

The boundary effect and the presence of a nearby entity on the drag of a rigid entity is investigated by considering the movement of two identical, rigid, coaxial spheres normal to a plane in both a Newtonian and a Carreau fluid at a low to medium large Reynolds number. The parameters key to the phenomenon under consideration, including the nature of the fluid, the separation distance between two spheres, the distance between the near sphere and the plane, and the Reynolds number, on the drag coefficient are discussed. We show that the influence of a boundary on the drag coefficient is more important than that of the nature of a fluid and that of the separation distance between two spheres. The variation of the drag coefficient as a function of Reynolds number for a Carreau fluid is similar to that for a Newtonian fluid. Due to the shear-thinning nature of the former the drag coefficient in the former is smaller than that in the latter. The influence of the index parameter of a Carreau fluid becomes appreciable only if the Carreau number is sufficiently large. Correlations between the drag coefficient and the key parameters of a system are developed for the case when the Reynolds number is smaller than l.     

Functionalized Reduced Graphene Oxide as a Versatile Tool for Cancer Therapy

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in human history with extremely poor prognosis. Although many traditional therapeutic modalities—such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy—have proved to be successful in inhibiting the growth of tumor cells, their side effects may vastly limited the actual benefits and patient acceptance. In this context, a nanomedicine approach for cancer therapy using functionalized nanomaterial has been gaining ground recently. Considering the ability to carry various anticancer drugs and to act as a photothermal agent, the use of carbon-based nanomaterials for cancer therapy has advanced rapidly. Within those nanomaterials, reduced graphene oxide (rGO), a graphene family 2D carbon nanomaterial, emerged as a good candidate for cancer photothermal therapy due to its excellent photothermal conversion in the near infrared range, large specific surface area for drug loading, as well as functional groups for functionalization with molecules such as photosensitizers, siRNA, ligands, etc. By unique design, multifunctional nanosystems could be designed based on rGO, which are endowed with promising temperature/pH-dependent drug/gene delivery abilities for multimodal cancer therapy. This could be further augmented by additional advantages offered by functionalized rGO, such as high biocompatibility, targeted delivery, and enhanced photothermal effects. Herewith, we first provide an overview of the most effective reducing agents for rGO synthesis via chemical reduction. This was followed by in-depth review of application of functionalized rGO in different cancer treatment modalities such as chemotherapy, photothermal therapy and/or photodynamic therapy, gene therapy, chemotherapy/phototherapy, and photothermal/immunotherapy.     

A STOCHASTIC ANALYSIS OF COKE DEPOSITION

The phenomenon of coke deposition on catalyst surface is analyzed stochastically. In contrast to a conventional deterministic approach, derivation of the governing equations of the phenomenon is based on probability laws. The resulting representation provides the information on both the mean or macroscopic and the fluctuating characteristics about the system under consideration. The deposition of coke is assumed to be reversible, i.e., deposited coke has a certain probability of escaping the surface. The applicability of the model developed is justified through analyzing available experimental data appeared in the literature.     

Diffusiophoresis of a soft spherical particle along the axis of a cylindrical microchannel

The diffusiophoresis of a soft particle is modeled theoretically by considering a soft sphere moving along the axis of a cylindrical microchannel. This geometry allows us to examine simultaneously the boundary effect and the nature of a particle on its diffusiophoretic behavior. The soft particle, which comprises a rigid core and an ion-penetrable layer, is capable of simulating biocolloids such as cells and particles covered by an artificial membrane layer. The results of numerical simulation reveal that due to its specific structure, the diffusiophoretic behavior of a soft particle is quite different from that of a rigid particle. The influence of the cylindrical microchannel on the diffusiophoretic behavior of the particle is also very different from that of other geometries considered in the literature. We show that, in addition to the effect of double-layer polarization, the effect of electrophoresis, and the electrical interaction between the coions outside the double layer and the particle, the nature of the soft particle can also influence both quantitatively and qualitatively its diffusiophoretic behavior. Several interesting results are observed, providing valuable reference for both the design of a diffusiophoresis device and the interpretation of the relevant experimental data.     

Modeling the controlled release of drug embedded in a plate-like polymer matrix

The controlled release of over-loaded drug in a plate-like polymer matrix, the Higuchi's problem, is investigated theoretically. Taking the advantage of Landau transformation, we restore the concentration profile of drug in a polymer matrix, the rate of release of drug from the polymer matrix, and the temporal variation of location of the moving boundary taking the external mass transfer resistance into account. The applicability of the series of moving boundaries, a numerical approach often adopted, is examined. We found that it may become ineffective when the over-loading of drug in a polymer matrix is too small. In contrast, our method has no such limitation. We conclude that assuming the transfer of drug to occur at a pseudo-steady-state condition is inadequate if the degree of over-loading for drug is low or the external mass transfer resistance is significant.     

Magnetic bubble logic component library

A comprehensive library of magnetic bubble logic components has been established, with emphasis on standardization in terms of dimensions and I/O to facilitate VLSI chip composition. These components were designed in a current-access perforated-sheet configuration and fabricated on magnetic garnet wafers supporting 2-µm bubbles. The operating margin for each component was studied individually on 8-µm period devices at 1 MHZ by using a high-speed magneto-optical sampling-camera system. The bubble-to-bubble interaction force was found to be very reliable in producing successful logic operation with a 12-percent bias-field margin for the XOR/AND gate equal to 80 percent of the bubble-propagation margin and about 60 percent of the free-bubble bias-field margin. The experimental results show 10.8, 10.7, 10.2, 10, 10.6, 8.5, 12, 8.5, 15, and 9.5-percent bias-field margins for the SWITCH, AND/OR, COMPARATOR, SEARCH, LATCH, BIT-PAIR SEPARATOR, MERGER, CROSSOVER, ANNIHILATOR, and SPLITTER gates, respectively. An 8.5-percent overlapped bias margin has been obtained for all of the logic components. Transient pictures taken with a small incremented delay revealed that the bubble motion in perforated-sheet logic devices is uniform both in the velocity excursion and shape distortion. The behavior of various components at different values of the bias field and drive current is all qualitatively interpretable on the basis of experimental observations. The feasibility of these logic components is successfully demonstrated.     

THE SIMULATION OF DISPERSED-PHASE BREAKAGE PHENOMENA

Droplet breakage in emulsification occurs as the result of work performed against surface tension by dynamic pressure fluctuations while deaggregation in biological wastewater treatment occurs in response to hydrodynamic stresses imposed by aeration, recirculation, and mixing. Such size reduction in the latter case leads to solids carry-over and poor process performance due to reduced sludge age. Laboratory observations of the disintegration process have shown how the hydrodynamic environment causes breakup and lean, batch breakage studies have indicated the most probable sizes of fragments. A Monte-Carlo type simulation has been used successfully to model the breakage process in both liquid-liquid and solid-liquid systems under high dissipation conditions.