Epoxidized linolenic acid salts as multifunctional additives for the thermal stability of plasticized PVC

Calcium and zinc salts of epoxidized linolenic acid were synthesized and used as multifunctional additives, to minimize or prevent the reaction of epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) with liberated hydrochloric acid (HCl) during the thermal degradation of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) in particular. These metal epoxy salts were incorporated as thermal stabilizers for both diisodecyl phthalate and ESO–plasticized PVC blends that underwent thermal degradation studies at 170°C. The overall performance of these metal epoxy salts was examined by thermal gravimetric analysis and visual color retention of the PVC blends. The weight loss profiles of the metal salt stabilized PVC were comparable to those of blends containing metal stearates. There were, however, vast improvements in color retention of the plasticized PVC using these novel additives. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41736.     

Peripheral mRNA Expression and Prognostic Significance of Emotional Stress Biomarkers in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients

Emotional stress is believed to be associated with increased tumor progression. Stress-induced epigenetic modifications can contribute to the severity of disease and poor prognosis in cancer patients. The current study aimed to investigate the expression profiles along with the prognostic significance of psychological stress-related genes in metastatic breast cancer patients, to rationalize the molecular link between emotional stress and cancer progression. We profiled the expression of selected stress-associated genes (5-HTT, NR3C1, OXTR, and FKBP5) in breast cancer including the stress evaluation of all participants using the Questionnaire on Distress in Cancer Patients–short form (QSC-R10). A survival database, the Kaplan–Meier Plotter, was used to explore the prognostic significance of these genes in breast cancer. Our results showed relatively low expressions of 5-HTT (p = 0.02) and OXTR (p = 0.0387) in metastatic breast cancer patients as compared to the non-metastatic group of patients. The expression of NR3C1 was low in tumor grade III as compared to grade II (p = 0.04). Additionally, the expression of NR3C1 was significantly higher in patients with positive estrogen receptor status. However, no significant difference was found regarding FKBP5 expression in breast cancer. The results suggest a potential implication of these genes in breast cancer pathology and prognosis.     

Input Selection of Wavelet-Coupled Neural Network Models for Rainfall-Runoff Modelling

Water Resources Management - The use of wavelet-coupled data-driven models is increasing in the field of hydrological modelling. However, wavelet-coupled artificial neural network (ANN) models...     

中国铀矿采冶回顾与展望

中国铀矿包括火山岩型、花岗岩型、碳硅泥岩型、砂岩型和煤岩型等多种类型。铀矿采冶始于20世纪50年代,早期以火山岩型和煤岩型铀矿常规地下开采为主,部分埋藏较浅的矿床则以露天开采的方式进行;铀的提取采用破磨搅拌浸出或堆浸工艺。20世纪90年代以来逐步向砂岩铀矿开采转型,以采冶一体的原地浸出方式进行开采和铀的提取,按浸出剂的不同主要分为酸法、碱法、中性(CO_2+O_2)等工艺,其中酸法和中性浸出工艺在中国应用最为广泛。近年来微生物浸出技术在铀矿堆浸和地浸方面均有所突破,部分实现工业应用。清洁、高效和数字赋能是铀矿采冶发展的主要趋势,建设绿色、高效、智能的铀矿大基地也正在成为中国天然铀产业高质量发展的新动能。     

新疆蒙其古尔矿床铀矿石CO_2+O_2中性浸出试验

采用新疆某砂岩铀矿石为原料,在实验室开展了分别以矿床地下水和地浸尾液配制浸出剂的CO_2+O_2中性浸出试验,研究不同铀矿石的铀浸出差异,以及对地浸具有影响的Fe、S的氧化与碳酸盐的溶解沉淀状况。结果表明,地下水和地浸尾液配制的浸出剂对相同矿石的浸出结果没有明显差异,矿石铀含量是最主要影响因素,浸出铀浓度与矿石铀含量显著正相关;静态浸出过程中,铀在体系中的扩散不充分,底部铀浓度显著高于上部,通常静态浸泡比搅拌浸出的铀浸出率低与此有一定关系;Fe的氧化较显著,浸后矿石FeO含量下降37%～62%,S也有所氧化;碳酸盐处于接近饱或超饱和状态,应将体系pH控制在6.5以内,以避免方解石和白云石发生饱和沉淀。     

Intelligent computing approach to solve the nonlinear Van der Pol system for heartbeat model

In this work, an intelligent computing algorithm is developed for finding the approximate solution of heart model based on nonlinear Van der Pol (VdP)-type second-order ordinary differential equations (ODEs) using feed-forward artificial neural networks (FF-ANNs) optimized with genetic algorithms (GAs) hybrid through interior-point algorithm (IPA). The mathematical modeling of the system is constructed using FF-ANN models by defining an unsupervised error and unknown weights; the networks are tuned globally with GAs, and local refinement of the results is made with IPA. Design scheme is applied to study the VdP heart dynamics model by varying the pulse shape modification factor, damping coefficients and external forcing factor while keeping the fixed value of the ventricular contraction period. The results of the proposed algorithm are compared with reference numerical solutions of Adams method to establish its correctness. Multiple independent runs are performed for the scheme, and results of statistical analyses in terms of mean absolute deviation, root-mean-square error and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency illustrate its applicability, effectiveness and reliability.

     

Digital Application of Second Order Generalized Integrator Based Grid Estimator Under Unbalanced and Distorted Voltage Conditions

Abstract

Frequency, amplitude, and phase information of the grid voltage are the main constraints for constructing a robust controller algorithm for grid connected applications under unbalanced and distorted voltage conditions. This paper narrates a simple, robust, straight forward method to estimate the instantaneous positive and negative sequence voltage components under unbalanced and distorted voltage circumstances. A second order generalized integrator (SOGI) is encapsulated to filter out the distorted voltage as well as to generate orthogonal voltage components for the three phases of AC grid. Furthermore, these filtered and orthogonal components are accounted for the calculation of instantaneous symmetrical components. Developed technique is more frequency adaptive compared to conventional phase locked loop (PLL) techniques. A set of test outcome results are provided in this paper based on MATLAB/Simulink simulations with real grid data captured from an industrial plant. Moreover, SOGI based estimator is digitally implemented by using dSPACE ds1103 digital controller to validate the numerical simulation results in accordance with the developed theoretical prediction.     

Functionalization of UiO-66-NH2 by In-Situ Incorporation of Nanomaterials to Enhance Photocatalytic Efficiency Towards Oxygen Evolution Reaction

The catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are required to generate clean energy. Herein, one-step solvothermal synthesis and modification of amino functionalized Zr-based metal organic framework, UiO-66-NH₂, is reported. The catalytic efficiency of UiO-66-NH₂ towards OER is improved by incorporating the cerium-based nanocomposite such as Ce₂O₃, TiO₂/Ce₂O₃ and CoO/Ce₂O₃. The synthesized samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, diffraction, and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The synthesized materials are coated on nickel foam for investigating the catalytic activity towards OER by cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry. Amongst, CoO/Ce₂O₃@UiO-66-NH₂/NF exhibits excellent OER-catalytic activity and delivers 10 mA cm^?2 current density at just 228 mV overpotential which is superior to many previously reported OER catalysts and its comparative products. To understand kinetics, Tafel slope is derived from LSV curve and is just 92 mV dec^?1.

Graphical Abstract

     

An empirical study of university–industry R&D collaboration in China: Implications for technology in society

This research investigates the growing phenomenon of university–industry (U–I) collaboration in high-tech strategic projects in China. After significant changes in the trading policies of 1978, China has gained heightened attention in technology and innovation. To achieve the stated strategic national goals, Research and Development (R&D) collaboration is essential. Organizations preferred to collaborate in order to share the burden of R&D costs and efforts. The academic outputs (research publications) of Chinese academic institutions and technology patenting ratio are increasing daily in China. These increasing numbers signal the importance of R&D. High-tech industries are inclined to share projects with universities. Foreign enterprises, state supported enterprises and local industry have played key roles to strengthening university–industry relationships.     

Scattering from a topological insulator cylinder buried below a slightly rough surface

Electromagnetic scattering from a topological insulator (TI) cylinder buried beneath a rough surface is considered. To account for the interactions of the scattered field and the rough surface, spectral plane wave representation of fields is used along with small perturbation method. Both time-reversal symmetry TI cylinder and time-reversal symmetry broken TI cylinder are considered to evaluate the scattered-transmitted field above the rough surface for different values of the periods of the rough surface and the size of the object. It is observed that co- and cross-polarized field components show a maximum before the time-reversal symmetry is broken. The co-polarized component remains almost constant while the cross-polarized component decreases for time-reversal symmetry broken case.