Semi-analytical solution for drained expansion analysis of a hollow cylinder of critical state soils

The expansion of a thick-walled hollow cylinder in soil is of non-self-similar nature that the stress/deformation paths are not the same for different soil material points.As a result,this problem cannot be solved by the common self-similar-based similarity techniques.This paper proposes a novel,exact solution for rigorous drained expansion analysis of a hollow cylinder of critical state soils.Considering stress-dependent elastic moduli of soils,new analytical stress and displacement solutions for the nonself-similar problem are developed taking the small strain assumption in the elastic zone.In the plastic zone,the cavity expansion response is formulated into a set of first-order partial differential equations(PDEs)with the combination use of Eulerian and Lagrangian descriptions,and a novel solution algorithm is developed to efficiently solve this complex boundary value problem.The solution is presented in a general form and thus can be useful for a wide range of soils.With the new solution,the non-self-similar nature induced by the finite outer boundary is clearly demonstrated and highlighted,which is found to be greatly different to the behaviour of cavity expansion in infinite soil mass.The present solution may serve as a benchmark for verifying the performance of advanced numerical techniques with critical state soil models and be used to capture the finite boundary effect for pressuremeter tests in small-sized calibration chambers.

一种电力施工用钢丝绳盘绳机的研制

钢丝绳盘绳机由扭力释放机构、张力保持机构、盘绳机构等组成,扭力释放机构能够充分释放在盘绳作业过程中钢丝绳上所产生的扭力,张力保持机构利用动、定滚轮组合设计,保证钢丝绳在收纳过程中能够保持足够的张力,盘绳机构采用液压动力驱动并结合排绳机构对钢丝绳进行有序盘绳。盘绳机能够实现对多种规格钢丝绳的检测和计长并能配合钢丝绳盘进行钢丝绳的规整收纳,便于仓管人员对钢丝绳进行科学化、规范化、现代化管理。

Efficient recovery of valuable metals from waste printed circuit boards by microwave pyrolysis

The recycling of waste printed circuit board(WPCBs) is of great significance for saving resources and protecting the environment. In this study, the WPCBs were pyrolyzed by microwave and the contained valuable metals Cu, Sn and Pb were recovered from the pyrolyzed WPCBs. The effect of pyrolysis temperature and time on the recovery efficiency of valuable metals was investigated. Additionally, the characterization for morphology and surface elemental distribution of pyrolysis residues was carried out to investigate the pyrolysis mechanism. The plastic fiber boards turned into black carbides, and they can be easily separated from the metals by manual. The results indicate that 91.2%, 96.1% and 94.4% of Cu, Sn and Pb can be recovered after microwave pyrolysis at 700 °C for 60 minutes. After pyrolysis, about 79.8%(mass)solid products, 11.9%(mass) oil and 8.3%(mass) gas were produced. These gas and oil can be used as fuel and raw materials of organic chemicals, respectively. This process provides an efficient and energy-saving technology for recovering valuable metals from WPCBs.

Bond Performance of Adhesively Bonding Interface of Steel-Bamboo Composite Structure

The steel-bamboo composite structure is a newly developed structure,combining phyllostachys pubescens(also called Moso bamboo)plywood and cold-formed thin-walled steel with structural adhesive.The reliability of steelbamboo interface is the premise of composite effect.13 specimens were prepared to investigate the failure modes and mechanism of the steel-bamboo interface on the basis of push-out test,and the strain difference analysis method was proposed to study the distribution of shear stress.The results show that the main failure modes of steel-bamboo interface are adhesion failure and splitting of bamboo plywood.The shear stress is not evenly distributed along the longitudinal direction of the interface,showing a shape of“larger at two ends and smaller in the middle”.The lower end of the interface is the initial location of the interface failure and the shear stress concentration degree is positively correlated with the thickness of the externally bonded bamboo plate.The shear resistance of steel-bamboo interface can be enhanced by improving the adhesion between steel and structural adhesive and ameliorating the quality of bamboo products.

Visualization of Water Plugging Displacement with Foam/Gel Flooding in Internally Heterogeneous Reservoirs

During the displacement of water plugging with binary flooding in internally heterogeneous reservoirs,it is essential to understand the distributions of remaining oil as well as the oil displacement mechanisms at different stages.In this study,two types of internally heterogeneous systems,i.e.,vertical and horizontal wells are investigated experimentally through a microscopic approach.The results show that plugging agent types have a greater impact on oil recovery than well types,and foam injection can enhance oil recovery more effectively than gel injection.Additionally,the injection sequence of plugging agents significantly affects oil displacement efficiency.Injecting gel after foam is more beneficial.According to the present results,the main formation mechanisms of remaining oil in each displacement stage are influenced by:capillary force,viscous force,inertial force,shear force,microscopic fingering&channeling.

Investigation on pulsed discharge mode in SF6-C2H6 mixtures

The non-chain chemical HF(DF)laser is one of the most powerful electrically-driven lasers operating in mid-infrared,in which SF6-C2H6 mixtures are often used as lasering media.Due to the electronegativity of SF6,the discharge in SF6-C2H6 presents a complicated discharge mode.To achieve reproducible pulsed laser output,pulsed discharge in SF6-C2H6 mixtures is investigated for discharge mode using plane electrodes assisted by array pre-ionization spark pins in cathode surface.Firstly,two modes can be distinguished.One mode is called the selfsustained volume discharge(SSVD),which is characterized by spatial uniformity in the discharge gap and pulse to pulse repeatability.On the contrary,another mode includes random arc passages in the discharge gap and therefore cannot conduct lasering.By varying discharge conditions(gap voltage,gas pressure,etc)two discharge modes are observed.Secondly,the holding scope of the SSVD mode is analyzed for the optimal mixture ratio of 20:1,and the boundary tend of the holding scope of SSVD indicates there exists maximum gas pressure and maximum charging voltage for SSVD.Finally,the peak current of SSVD relates positively to charging voltage,while negatively to gas pressure,from which it is drawn that synchronous electron avalanches initiated by the sliding array overlap spatially into SSVD and thus SSVD is essentially an α ionization avalanche.

基因表达谱整合分析揭示胰腺导管腺癌相关特异信号转导途径

背景与目的因为常规癌症治疗对胰腺导管腺癌(pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma,PDAC)而言疗效不佳,所以胰腺癌严重威胁着人类的健康。微阵列研究报道许多与胰腺癌相关基因,但是并未对微阵列数据进行深入整合分析。本研究利用与胰腺癌相关的6个微阵列基因表达谱来探讨与PDAC相关的基因和信号转导途径。方法采用信号通路网络方法分析6个已经发表的胰腺癌基因表达谱数据(GSE71989、GSE15471、GSE16515、GSE32676、GSE41368和GSE28735)。根据癌症基因组图谱和国际癌症基因组联合会数据库中的数据来评估PDAC相关基因的表达对胰腺癌患者存活时间的潜在影响,在我们医院收集的102例PDAC患者中检测到了一种候选基因(CKS2)的表达,其与患者存活相关。在PDAC细胞系BxPC-3和CFPAC-1中检测CKS2敲低后的影响。结果称为"癌症途径"的KEGG信号途径可能在胰腺癌的发生和发展中有重要作用。该途径中的5个基因(BIRC5、CKS2、ITGA3、ITGA6和RALA)与PDAC患者的生存时间显著相关。CKS2在我们医院PDAC样本中过表达,这些患者CKS2的高表达与较短的生存时间相关。体外敲低CKS2能够抑制PDAC细胞的增殖。结论整合目前微阵列数据集的分析可以确定"癌症通路"是PDAC的一个重要信号途径。这种整合方法可能对鉴别癌症相关基因和途径非常有效。

CEPC Technical Design Report

The Circular Electron Positron Collider(CEPC)is a large scientific project initiated and hosted by China,fostered through extensive collaboration with international partners.The complex comprises four accelerators:a 30 GeV Linac,a 1.1 GeV Damping Ring,a Booster capable of achieving energies up to 180 GeV,and a Collider operating at varying energy modes(Z,W,H,and tt).The Linac and Damping Ring are situated on the surface,while the subterranean Booster and Collider are housed in a 100 km circumference underground tunnel,strategically accommodating future expansion with provisions for a potential Super Proton Proton Collider(SPPC).The CEPC primarily serves as a Higgs factory.In its baseline design with synchrotron radiation(SR)power of 30 MW per beam,it can achieve a luminosity of 5×10^(34)cm^(-2)s^(-1)per interaction point(IP),resulting in an integrated luminosity of 13 ab^(-1)for two IPs over a decade,producing 2.6 million Higgs bosons.Increasing the SR power to 50 MW per beam expands the CEPC's capability to generate 4.3 million Higgs bosons,facilitating precise measurements of Higgs coupling at sub-percent levels,exceeding the precision expected from the HL-LHC by an order of magnitude.This Technical Design Report(TDR)follows the Preliminary Conceptual Design Report(Pre-CDR,2015)and the Conceptual Design Report(CDR,2018),comprehensively detailing the machine's layout,performance metrics,physical design and analysis,technical systems design,R&D and prototyping efforts,and associated civil engineering aspects.Additionally,it includes a cost estimate and a preliminary construction timeline,establishing a framework for forthcoming engineering design phase and site selection procedures.Construction is anticipated to begin around 2027-2028,pending government approval,with an estimated duration of 8 years.The commencement of experiments and data collection could potentially be initiated in the mid-2030s.

JUNO sensitivity on proton decay p→νK^(+)searches

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory(JUNO)is a large liquid scintillator detector designed to explore many topics in fundamental physics.In this study,the potential of searching for proton decay in the p→νK^(+)mode with JUNO is investigated.The kaon and its decay particles feature a clear three-fold coincidence signature that results in a high efficiency for identification.Moreover,the excellent energy resolution of JUNO permits suppression of the sizable background caused by other delayed signals.Based on these advantages,the detection efficiency for the proton decay via p→νK^(+)is 36.9%±4.9%with a background level of 0.2±0.05(syst)±0.2(stat)events after 10 years of data collection.The estimated sensitivity based on 200 kton-years of exposure is 9.6×1033 years,which is competitive with the current best limits on the proton lifetime in this channel and complements the use of different detection technologies.

Roles and implications of mRNA N^(6)-methyladenosine in cancer

RNA N^(6)-methyladenosine modification is the most prevalent internal modification of eukaryotic RNAs and has emerged as a novel field of RNA epigenetics,garnering increased attention.To date,m^(6)A modification has been shown to impact multiple RNA metabolic processes and play a vital role in numerous biological processes.Recent evidence suggests that aberrant m^(6)A modification is a hallmark of cancer,and it plays a critical role in cancer development and progression through multiple mechanisms.Here,we review the biological functions of mRNA m^(6)A modification in various types of cancers,with a particular focus on metabolic reprogramming,programmed cell death and tumor metastasis.Furthermore,we discuss the potential of targetingm^(6)Amodification or its regulatory proteins as a novel approach of cancer therapy and the progress of research on m^(6)A modification in tumor immunity and immunotherapy.Finally,we summarize the development of different m^(6)A detection methods and their advantages and disadvantages.

Iodine-assisted ultrafast growth of high-quality monolayer MoS_(2) with sulfur-terminated edges

Two-dimensional(2D)semiconductors have attracted great attention to extend Moore’s law,which motivates the quest for fast growth of high-quality materials.However,taking MoS_(2) as an example,current methods yield 2D MoS_(2) with a low growth rate and poor quality with vacancy concentrations three to five orders of magnitude higher than silicon and other commercial semiconductors.Here,we develop a strategy of using an intermediate product of iodine as a transport agent to carry metal precursors efficiently for ultrafast growth of high-quality MoS_(2).The grown MoS_(2) has the lowest density of sulfur vacancies(~1.41×10^(12) cm^(−2))reported so far and excellent electrical properties with high on/off current ratios of 108 and carrier mobility of 175 cm^(2) V^(−1) s^(−1).Theoretical calculations show that by incorporating iodine,the nucleation barrier of MoS_(2) growth with sulfur-terminated edges reduces dramatically.The sufficient supply of precursor and low nucleation energy together boost the ultrafast growth of sub-millimeter MoS_(2) domains within seconds.This work provides an effective method for the ultrafast growth of 2D semiconductors with high quality,which will promote their applications.

Differences in seed properties and germination between native and introduced populations of Triadica sebifera

Aims Seeds of many invasive plants germinate more quickly than those of native species,likely facilitating invasion success.Assessing the germination traits and seed properties simultaneously for introduced and native populations of an invasive plant is essential to understanding biological invasions.Here,we used Triadica sebifera as a study organism to examine intraspecific differences in seed germination together with seed characteristics.Methods We measured physical(volume,mass,coat hardness and coat thickness of seeds)and chemical(crude fat,soluble protein,sugar,gibberellins[GA]and abscisic acid[ABA]of kernels)properties of T.sebifera seeds collected in 2017 from 12 introduced(United States)populations and 12 native(China)populations and tested their germination rates and timing in a greenhouse experiment in China.Furthermore,we conducted an extra experiment in the United States using seeds collected in 2016 and 2017 to compare the effects of study sites(China vs.United States)and seed collection time(2016 vs.2017)on seed germination.Important Findings Seeds from the introduced range germinated faster than those from the native range.Physical and chemical measurements showed that seeds from the introduced range were larger,had higher GA concentrations and GA:ABA ratio,but lower crude fat concentrations compared to those from the native range.There were no significant differences in seed mass,coat hardness and coat thickness or kernel ABA,soluble protein or sugar concentrations between seeds from introduced vs.native ranges.Germination rates were correlated between United States and China greenhouses but germination rates for populations varied between collection years.Our results suggest that larger seeds and higher GA likely contribute to faster germination,potentially facilitating T.sebifera invasion in the introduced range.

Effect of mesopores on solidification of sirolimus self-microemulsifying drug delivery system

To investigate the influence of mesopores towards the solidification of self-microemulsifying drug delivery system(SMEDDS), mesoporous silica nanospheres(MSNs) and Santa Barbara Amorphous-15(SBA-15) were compared. The MSNs had hydrodynamic size of 195.35 ± 5.82 nm, and pore diameter of 2.70 nm. The SBA-15 had hydrodynamic size of 2312.19 ± 106.93 nm, and pore diameter of 10.91 nm. The MSNs and SBA-15 showed similar loading efficiency of SMEDDS containing sirolimus(SRL). However,MSNs had higher drug dissolution and in vivo absorption, with relative bioavailability of 174.62%. Thus,the length of mesopores played a more important role in solidification of SMEDDS as compared with the pore diameter. This study suggests that the SMEDDS-MSNs can be a potential candidate for oral administration of hydrophobic drugs.

Folate-conjugated polyspermine for lung cancer–targeted gene therapy

Biodegradable polyamines have long been studied as potential recombinant viral gene vectors.Spermine(SPE) is an endogenous tetra-amine with excellent biocompatibility yet poor gene condensation capacity. We have previously synthesized a polyspermine based on SPE and poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG)diacrylate(SPE-alt-PEG) for enhanced transfection performance, but the synthesized SPE-alt-PEG still lacked specificity towards cancer cells. In this study, folic acid(FA) was incorporated into SPE-alt-PEG to fabricate a targeted gene delivery vector(FA-SPE-PEG) via an acylation reaction. FA-SPE-PEG exhibited mild cytotoxicity in both cancer cells and normal cells. FA-SPE-PEG possessed higher transfection efficiency than PEI 25 K and Lipofectamines2000 in two tested cancer cell lines at functional weight ratios, and its superiority over untargeted SPE-alt-PEG was prominent in cells with overexpressed folate receptors(FRs). Moreover, in vivo delivery of green fluorescent protein(GFP) with FA-SPE-PEG resulted in highest fluorescent signal intensity of all investigated groups. FA-SPE-PEG showed remarkably enhanced specificity towards cancer cells both in vivo and in vitro due to the interaction between FA and FRs. Taken together, FA-SPE-PEG was demonstrated to be a prospective targeted gene delivery vector with high transfection capacity and excellent biocompatibility.

Tallow tree allocates contrasting secondary chemicals in response to varying environments along elevational gradients

Aims Understanding how tree species regulate multiple types of secondary chemicals along elevational gradients is critical for elucidating the physiological and ecological strategies of plants in response to varying biotic and/or abiotic environments.This study aims to examine how Chinese tallow tree(Triadica sebifera)allocates resources to the production of different secondary chemicals in response to varying environments across elevational gradients.Methods We conducted field surveys of different herbivore feeding guilds and their damage rates on Chinese tallow trees along an elevational gradient in China and measured secondary chemicals(tannins and flavonoids)in damaged and undamaged leaves.Important Findings The odds of a leaf being damaged(chewing or scarring)decreased with elevation.Flavonoid concentrations increased with elevation in undamaged leaves but decreased with elevation in damaged leaves,with quercitrin contributing most strongly to this pattern,likely as results of plant responding to changing biotic or abiotic stresses along elevational gradients.Tannin concentrations did not vary with elevation,so undamaged leaves had relatively lower tannin to flavonoid ratios at high elevation than at low elevation.Our study reveals variation in herbivory and contrasting trends in plant secondary metabolism along an elevation gradient and highlights the importance of simultaneously considering multiple types of secondary chemicals in plant physiological and ecological strategies.

Sub-percent precision measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters with JUNO

JUNO is a multi-purpose neutrino observatory under construction in the south of China.This publication presents new sensitivity estimates for the measurement of the △m_(31)^(2),△m_(21)^(2),sin^(2)θ_(12),and sin^(2)θ_(13) oscillation parameters using reactor antineutrinos,which is one of the primary physics goals of the experiment.The sensitivities are obtained using the best knowledge available to date on the location and overburden of the experimental site,the nuclear reactors in the surrounding area and beyond,the detector response uncertainties,and the reactor antineutrino spectral shape constraints expected from the TAO satellite detector.It is found that the △m_(21)^(2) and sin^(2)θ_(12) oscillation parameters will be determined to 0.5%precision or better in six years of data collection.In the same period,the △m_(31)^(2) parameter will be determined to about 0.2%precision for each mass ordering hypothesis.The new precision represents approximately an order of magnitude improvement over existing constraints for these three parameters.

Evolution of domain structure in 0.96(K_(0.48)Na_(0.52))(Nb_(0.96)Sb_(0.04))O_(3)0.04(Bi_(0.50)Na_(0.50))ZrO_(3) ceramics with poling and temperature

Domain structure often has significant influences on both piezoelectric properties and piezoelectric temperature stability of a ferroelectric ceramic.In-depth studies on the characters of domain structure should be helpful for the better understanding of piezoelectric performance.In this work,the evolution of domain structure in large-d_(33)0.96(K_(0.48)Na_(0.52))(Nb_(0.96)Sb_(0.04))O_(3)-0.04(Bi_(0.50)Na_(0.50))ZrO_(3) ceramics with poling and temperature was systematically investigated via comparing the various domain patterns that are obtained by acid-etching.It was found that domain structure changes greatly upon poling and varies largely with temperature.Complex domain patterns consisting of long narrow parallel stripes or herringbone structure separated by 180°domain boundaries are observed in the unpoled ceramics at room temperature.Domain patterns become less complicated upon poling,due to the collective polarization reversals of parallel-stripe domain clusters and banded fine-stripe domain segments.Parallel stripes and herringbone bands become much wider upon poling,as some narrow stripes and herringbone bands coalesce into broad ones,respectively.Hierarchical domain structure is commonly seen in the domain patterns acid-etched at room temperature,but is less frequently recognized at elevated temperatures.Schematic models of domain configurations were proposed to explain the domain structure and its evolution with poling.

HIGH PIEZOELECTRIC PERFORMANCE AND RELEVANT PHYSICAL MECHANISM OF CuO-MODIFIED Ba(Ti_(0.96)Sn_(0.04))O_(3)CERAMICS

Ba(Ti_(0.96)Sn_(0.04))O_(3)and CuO-modified Ba(Ti_(0.96)Sn_(0.04))O_(3)ceramics were prepared by the solid state reaction technique.Their piezoelectric properties were investigated and compared with those of the recently obtained high-d_(33)BaTiO_(3)ceramic.It has been found that simply substituting Ti4t with Sn4t worsens severely the piezoelectric properties whereas a combined usage of CuO additive greatly improves the overall piezoelectric performance.CuO-modified BaeTi_(0.96)Sn_(0.04)TO_(3)ceramic shows excellent piezoelectric properties of d_(33)=390 pC=N;kp=0.49 and k33=0.67 at room temperature.Furthermore,it possesses weak temperature dependences of electromechanical coe±cients between
20 and 55 and a good thermal aging stability down to a low experimental temperature limit of
50℃and up to 90.Detailed analysis suggests that its high piezoelectric performance should be largely ascribed to the ideal microstructure of high relative density and small grains and the corresponding domain configurations.

Integrative analysis of gene expression profiles reveals specific signaling pathways associated with pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma

Background:Pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma(PDAC)remains a major health problem because conventional can-cer treatments are relatively ineffective against it.Microarray studies have linked many genes to pancreatic cancer,but the available data have not been extensively mined for potential insights into PDAC.This study attempted to identify PDAC-associated genes and signaling pathways based on six microarray-based profiles of gene expression in pancre-atic cancer deposited in the gene expression omnibus database.Methods:Pathway network methods were used to analyze core pathways in six publicly available pancreatic cancer gene(GSE71989,GSE15471,GSE16515,GSE32676,GSE41368 and GSE28735)expression profiles.Genes potentially linked to PDAC were assessed for potential impact on survival time based on data in The Cancer Genome Atlas and International Cancer Genome Consortium databases,and the expression of one candidate gene(CKS2)and its association with survival was examined in 102 patients with PDAC from our hospital.Effects of CKS2 knockdown were explored in the PDAC cell lines BxPC-3 and CFPAC-1.Results:The KEGG signaling pathway called“pathway in cancer”may play an important role in pancreatic cancer development and progression.Five genes(BIRC5,CKS2,ITGA3,ITGA6 and RALA)in this pathway were significantly associated with survival time in patients with PDAC.CKS2 was overexpressed in PDAC samples from our hospital,and higher CKS2 expression in these patients was associated with shorter survival time.CKS2 knockdown substantially inhibited PDAC cell proliferation in vitro.Conclusions:Analysis integrating existing microarray datasets allowed identification of the“pathway in cancer”as an important signaling pathway in PDAC.This integrative approach may be powerful for identifying genes and pathways involved in cancer.