Research on the Aerodynamic Characteristics of Leading Edge and Bulge of Ram-Air Parafoil Based on CFD

This study focuses on the aerodynamic characteristics and flow mechanism of three different configurations of ram-air parafoil with open/closed air inlet and bulges. Firstly, we designed a special parafoil configuration for this study. Then we used numerical simulation to obtain the aerodynamic data of three parafoils at different angles of attack, and studied the influence of the bulge and the leading edge open/closed inlet on the aerodynamic performance of the ram-air parafoil. Finally, we study the flow mechanism of the ram-air parafoil through the pressure distribution and flow field. The results of the study show that compared with the aerodynamic parameters of the parafoil without bulges, the optimal angle of attack of the two parafoils with bulges is increased by 4?, the maximum lift to drag ratio of the parafoil with closed leading edge is reduced by about 4.3% and the optimal angle of attack is reduced by about 2?. The maximum lift to drag ratio of the parafoil with open leading edge is reduced by about 23.6% and the stalling angle of attack is reduced by about 4?. The pressure on the surface of a ram-air parafoil with open leading edge inlet is the highest. .

Electrochemically Grown Ultrathin Platinum Nanosheet Electrodes with Ultralow Loadings for Energy-Saving and Industrial-Level Hydrogen Evolution

Nanostructured catalyst-integrated electrodes with remarkably reduced catalyst loadings,high catalyst utilization and facile fabrication are urgently needed to enable cost-effective,green hydrogen production via proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells(PEMECs).Herein,benefitting from a thin seeding layer,bottom-up grown ultrathin Pt nanosheets(Pt-NSs)were first deposited on thin Ti substrates for PEMECs via a fast,template-and surfactant-free electrochemical growth process at room temperature,showing highly uniform Pt surface coverage with ultralow loadings and vertically well-aligned nanosheet morphologies.Combined with an anode-only Nafion 117 catalyst-coated membrane(CCM),the Pt-NS electrode with an ultralow loading of 0.015 mgPt cm−2 demonstrates superior cell performance to the commercial CCM(3.0 mgPt cm^(−2)),achieving 99.5%catalyst savings and more than 237-fold higher catalyst utilization.The remarkable performance with high catalyst utilization is mainly due to the vertically well-aligned ultrathin nanosheets with good surface coverage exposing abundant active sites for the electrochemical reaction.Overall,this study not only paves a new way for optimizing the catalyst uniformity and surface coverage with ultralow loadings but also provides new insights into nanostructured electrode design and facile fabrication for highly efficient and low-cost PEMECs and other energy storage/conversion devices.

Distributed Nash Equilibrium Seeking Strategies Under Quantized Communication

This paper is concerned with distributed Nash equi librium seeking strategies under quantized communication. In the proposed seeking strategy, a projection operator is synthesized with a gradient search method to achieve the optimization o players' objective functions while restricting their actions within required non-empty, convex and compact domains. In addition, a leader-following consensus protocol, in which quantized informa tion flows are utilized, is employed for information sharing among players. More specifically, logarithmic quantizers and uniform quantizers are investigated under both undirected and connected communication graphs and strongly connected digraphs, respec tively. Through Lyapunov stability analysis, it is shown that play ers' actions can be steered to a neighborhood of the Nash equilib rium with logarithmic and uniform quantizers, and the quanti fied convergence error depends on the parameter of the quan tizer for both undirected and directed cases. A numerical exam ple is given to verify the theoretical results.

Tuning Li/Ni mixing by reactive coating to boost the stability of cobalt-free Ni-rich cathode

Cobalt-free cathode materials are attractive for their high capacity and low cost,yet they still encounter issues with structural and surface instability.AlPO_(4),in particular,has garnered attention as an effective stabilizer for bulk and surface.However,the impact of interfacial reactions and elemental interdiffusion between AlPO_(4) and LiNi_(0.95)Mn_(0.05)O_(2) upon sintering on the bulk and surface remains elusive.In this study,we demonstrate that during the heat treatment process,AlPO_(4) decomposes,resulting in Al doping into the bulk of the cathode through elemental interdiffusion.Simultaneously,PO_(4)^(3-)reacts with the surface Li of material to form a Li_3PO_(4) coating,inducing lithium deficiency,thereby increasing Li/Ni mixing.The suitable Li/Ni mixing,previously overlooked in AlPO_(4) modification,plays a pivotal role in stabilizing the bulk and surface,exceeding the synergy of Al doping and Li_3PO_(4) coating.The presence of Ni^(2+)ions in the lithium layers contributes to the stabilization of the delithiated structure via a structural pillar effect.Moreover,suitable Li/Ni mixing can stabilize the lattice oxygen and electrode-electrolyte interface by increasing oxygen removal energy and reducing the overlap between the Ni^(3+/4+)e_g and O^(2-)2p orbitals.These findings offer new perspectives for the design of stable cobalt-free cathode materials.

Prevalence of vegetation browning in China’s drylands under climate change

Vegetation greening has long been acknowledged,but recent studies have pointed out that vegetation greening is possibly stalled or even reversed.However,detailed analyses about greening reversal or increased browning of vegetation remain scarce.In this study,we utilized the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)as an indicator of vegetation to investigate the trends of vegetation greening and browning(monotonic,interruption,and reversal)through the breaks for the additive season and trend(BFAST)method across China’s drylands from 1982 to 2022.It also reveals the impacts of ecological restoration programs(ERPs)and climate change on these vegetation trends.We find that the vegetation displays an obvious pattern of east-greening and west-browning in China’s drylands.Greening trends mainly exhibits monotonic greening(29.8%)and greening with setback(36.8%),whereas browning shows a greening to browning reversal(19.2%).The increase rate of greening to browning reversal is 0.0342/yr,which is apparently greater than that of greening with setback,0.0078/yr.This research highlights that,under the background of widespread vegetation greening,vegetation browning is pro-gressively increasing due to the effects of climate change.Furthermore,the ERPs have significantly increased vegetation coverage,with the increase rate in 2000-2022 being twice as much as that of 1982-1999 in reveg-etation regions.Vegetation browning in southwestern Qingzang Plateau is primarily driven by adverse climatic factors and anthropogenic disturbances,which offset the efforts of ERPs.

Amorphous Iridium Oxide-Integrated Anode Electrodes with Ultrahigh Material Utilization for Hydrogen Production at Industrial Current Densities

Herein,ionomer-free amorphous iridium oxide(IrO_(x))thin electrodes are first developed as highly active anodes for proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells(PEMECs)via low-cost,environmentally friendly,and easily scalable electrodeposition at room temperature.Combined with a Nafion 117 membrane,the IrO_(x)-integrated electrode with an ultralow loading of 0.075 mg cm^(-2)delivers a high cell efficiency of about 90%,achieving more than 96%catalyst savings and 42-fold higher catalyst utilization compared to commercial catalyst-coated membrane(2 mg cm^(-2)).Additionally,the IrO_(x)electrode demonstrates superior performance,higher catalyst utilization and significantly simplified fabrication with easy scalability compared with the most previously reported anodes.Notably,the remarkable performance could be mainly due to the amorphous phase property,sufficient Ir^(3+)content,and rich surface hydroxide groups in catalysts.Overall,due to the high activity,high cell efficiency,an economical,greatly simplified and easily scalable fabrication process,and ultrahigh material utilization,the IrO_(x)electrode shows great potential to be applied in industry and accelerates the commercialization of PEMECs and renewable energy evolution.

Prescribed-Time Fully Distributed Nash Equilibrium Seeking Strategy in Networked Games

Dear Editor, This letter is concerned with prescribed-time fully distributed Nash equilibrium seeking for networked games under directed graphs. An adaptive algorithm is proposed to ensure the convergence of all players to the Nash equilibrium without requiring any knowledge of global parameters. Moreover, it is theoretically proved that the convergence time of the proposed seeking strategy can be predefined based on practical requirements. Finally, a numerical example is presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Research status and hotspots of tight junctions and colorectal cancer:A bibliometric and visualization analysis

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is the third most common cancer worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related death.Over the past two decades,numerous researchers have provided important evidence regarding the role of tight junction(TJ)proteins in the occurrence and progression of CRC.The causal relationship between the presence of specific TJ proteins and the development of CRC has also been confirmed.Despite the large number of publications in this field,a bibliometric study to review the current state of research and highlight the research trends and hotspots in this field has not yet been performed.AIM To analyze research on TJs and CRC,summarize the field’s history and current status,and predict future research directions.METHODS We searched the Science Citation Index Expanded database for all literature on CRC and TJs from 2001-2023.We used bibliometrics to analyze the data of these papers,such as the authors,countries,institutions,and references.Co-authorship,co-citation,and co-occurrence analyses were the main methods of analysis.CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to visualize the results.RESULTS A total of 205 studies were ultimately identified.The number of publications on this topic has steadily increased since 2007.China and the United States have made the largest contributions to this field.Anticancer Research was the most prolific journal,publishing 8 articles,while the journal Oncogene had the highest average citation rate(68.33).Professor Dhawan P was the most prolific and cited author in this field.Co-occurrence analysis of keywords revealed that“tight junction protein expression”,“colorectal cancer”,“intestinal microbiota”,and“inflammatory bowel disease”had the highest frequency of occurrence,revealing the research hotspots and trends in this field.CONCLUSION This bibliometric analysis evaluated the scope and trends of TJ proteins in CRC,providing valuable research perspectives and future directions for studying the connection between the two.It is recommended to focus on emerging research hotspots,such as the correlations among intestinal microbiota,inflammatory bowel disease,TJ protein expression,and CRC.

Clinical study on improving the diagnostic accuracy of adult elbow joint cartilage injury by multisequence magnetic resonance imaging

BACKGROUND Due to frequent and high-risk sports activities,the elbow joint is susceptible to injury,especially to cartilage tissue,which can cause pain,limited movement and even loss of joint function.AIM To evaluate magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)multisequence imaging for improving the diagnostic accuracy of adult elbow cartilage injury.METHODS A total of 60 patients diagnosed with elbow cartilage injury in our hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective study.We analyzed the accuracy of conventional MRI sequences(T1-weighted imaging,T2-weighted imaging,proton density weighted imaging,and T2 star weighted image)and Three-Dimensional Coronary Imaging by Spiral Scanning(3D-CISS)in the diagnosis of elbow cartilage injury.Arthroscopy was used as the gold standard to evaluate the diagnostic effect of single and combination sequences in different injury degrees and the consistency with arthroscopy.RESULTS The diagnostic accuracy of 3D-CISS sequence was 89.34%±4.98%,the sensitivity was 90%,and the specificity was 88.33%,which showed the best performance among all sequences(P<0.05).The combined application of the whole sequence had the highest accuracy in all sequence combinations,the accuracy of mild injury was 91.30%,the accuracy of moderate injury was 96.15%,and the accuracy of severe injury was 93.33%(P<0.05).Compared with arthroscopy,the combination of all MRI sequences had the highest consistency of 91.67%,and the kappa value reached 0.890(P<0.001).CONCLUSION Combination of 3D-CISS and each sequence had significant advantages in improving MRI diagnostic accuracy of elbow cartilage injuries in adults.Multisequence MRI is recommended to ensure the best diagnosis and treatment.

Distributed Secondary Control of AC Microgrids With External Disturbances and Directed Communication Topologies:A Full-Order Sliding-Mode Approach

This paper addresses the problem of distributed secondary control for islanded AC microgrids with external disturbances.By using a full-order sliding-mode(FOSM)approach,voltage regulation and frequency restoration are achieved in finite time.For voltage regulation,a distributed observer is proposed for each distributed generator(DG)to estimate a reference voltage level.Different from some conventional observers,the reference voltage level in this paper is accurately estimated under directed communication topologies.Based on the observer,a new nonlinear controller is designed in a backstepping manner such that an FOSM surface is reached in finite time.On the surface,the voltages of DGs are regulated to the reference level in finite time.For frequency restoration,a distributed controller is further proposed such that a constructed FOSM surface is reached in finite time,on which the frequencies of DGs are restored to a reference level in finite time under directed communication topologies.Finally,case studies on a modified IEEE 37-bus test system are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness,the robustness against load changes,and the plug-and-play capability of the proposed controllers.

Dysregulation of non-coding RNAs in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer(GC) is one of the most common cancers in the world and a significant threat to the health of patients, especially those from China and Japan. The prognosis for patients with late stage GC receiving the standard of care treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, remains poor. Developing novel treatment strategies, identifying new molecules for targeted therapy, and devising screening techniques to detect this cancer in its early stages are needed for GC patients. The discovery of non-coding RNAs(nc RNAs), primarily micro RNAs(mi RNAs) and long non-coding RNAs(lnc RNAs), helped to elucidate the mechanisms of tumorigenesis, diagnosis and treatment of GC. Recently, significant research has been conducted on non-coding RNAs and how the regulatory dysfunction of these RNAs impacts the tumorigenesis of GC. In this study, we review papers published in the last five years concerning the dysregulation of noncoding RNAs, especially mi RNAs and lnc RNAs, in GC. We summarize instances of aberrant expression of the ncR NAs in GC and their effect on survival-related events, including cell cycle regulation, AKT signaling, apoptosis and drug resistance. Additionally, we evaluate how nc RNA dysregulation affects the metastatic process, including the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stem cells, transcription factor activity, and oncogene and tumor suppressor expression. Lastly, we determine how ncR NAs affect angiogenesis in the microenvironment of GC. We further discuss the use of ncR NAs as potential biomarkers for use in clinical screening, early diagnosis and prognosis of GC. At present, no ideal ncR NAs have been identified as targets for the treatment of GC.

Numerical Investigation of Flow Separation Control over an NACA0018 Airfoil Using Sweeping Jet Actuator

As an active flow control technology and with the advantages of no moving components, the Sweeping jet actuator has become a hotspot in the field of flow control. However, the linear relationship between oscillation frequency and momentum coefficient in a sweeping jet actuator makes it difficult to determine the dominant factors that affect control effectiveness. Decoupling the oscillation frequency and momentum coefficient, as well as determining the control mechanism, is the focus of studying the sweeping jet actuator. In this study, a novel sweeping jet actuator is designed using synthetic jets instead of feedback channels and applied to the flow separation control of NACA0018 airfoil. This article studies the control effect under three oscillation frequencies of F+ = f × c/U∞ = 1, 10, 100 and three momentum coefficients of Cμ = 0.45%, 0.625%, 0.9%. The numerical results indicate that all three oscillation frequencies have good control effects on flow separation, and the control effect is best when F+ = 1, with the maximum lift coefficient increasing by approximately 14% compared to the other two cases. And the sweeping jet actuator has a better ability to control flow separation as the momentum coefficient increases. By decoupling the characteristics of the sweeping jet actuator and conducting numerical analysis of the flow control effect, it will promote its better engineering application in the field of flow control. .

Distributed Nash Equilibrium Seeking for General Networked Games With Bounded Disturbances

This paper is concerned with anti-disturbance Nash equilibrium seeking for games with partial information.First,reduced-order disturbance observer-based algorithms are proposed to achieve Nash equilibrium seeking for games with firstorder and second-order players,respectively.In the developed algorithms,the observed disturbance values are included in control signals to eliminate the influence of disturbances,based on which a gradient-like optimization method is implemented for each player.Second,a signum function based distributed algorithm is proposed to attenuate disturbances for games with secondorder integrator-type players.To be more specific,a signum function is involved in the proposed seeking strategy to dominate disturbances,based on which the feedback of the velocity-like states and the gradients of the functions associated with players achieves stabilization of system dynamics and optimization of players'objective functions.Through Lyapunov stability analysis,it is proven that the players'actions can approach a small region around the Nash equilibrium by utilizing disturbance observerbased strategies with appropriate control gains.Moreover,exponential(asymptotic)convergence can be achieved when the signum function based control strategy(with an adaptive control gain)is employed.The performance of the proposed algorithms is tested by utilizing an integrated simulation platform of virtual robot experimentation platform(V-REP)and MATLAB.

Fully Distributed Nash Equilibrium Seeking for High-Order Players With Actuator Limitations

This paper explores the problem of distributed Nash equilibrium seeking in games, where players have limited knowledge on other players' actions. In particular, the involved players are considered to be high-order integrators with their control inputs constrained within a pre-specified region. A linear transformation for players' dynamics is firstly utilized to facilitate the design of bounded control inputs incorporating multiple saturation functions. By introducing consensus protocols with adaptive and time-varying gains, the unknown actions for players are distributively estimated. Then, a fully distributed Nash equilibrium seeking strategy is exploited, showcasing its remarkable properties: (1) ensuring the boundedness of control inputs;(2) avoiding any global information/parameters;and (3) allowing the graph to be directed. Based on Lyapunov stability analysis, it is theoretically proved that the proposed distributed control strategy can lead all the players' actions to the Nash equilibrium. Finally, an illustrative example is given to validate effectiveness of the proposed method.

Unlocking the potentials of gel conformance for water shutoff in fractured reservoirs: Favorable attributes of the double network gel for enhancing oil recovery

The double-network prepared with an in-situ monomer gel and a fast-crosslinked Cr(III) gel is introduced to develop a thixotropic and high-strength gel (THSG), which is found to have many advantages over the traditional gels. The THSG gel demonstrates remarkable thermal stability, and no syneresis is observed after 12 months with high salinity brine (95,500 mg/L). Moreover, the SEM and XRD results indicate that the gel is intercalated into the lamellar structures of Na-MMT, where the gel can form a uniform and compact structure. In addition, the THSG gel has an excellent swelling behavior, even in the high salinity brine. In the slim tube experiments, the THSG gel exhibits high rupture pressure and improves blocking capacity after being ruptured. The core flooding results show that a layer of gel filter cake is formed on the face of the fracture, which may be promoted by a high matrix permeability, a small aperture fracture, and a high injection rate. After the gel treatment, the fracture can be completely blocked by the THSG gel. It is found that a high incremental oil recovery (65.3%) can be achieved when the fracture was completely blocked, compared to 40.2% if the gel is ruptured. Although the swelling of ruptured gel can improve oil recovery, part of the injected brine may be channeled through the gel-filled fractures, resulting in a decrease in the sweep efficiency. Therefore, the improved blocking ability by gel swelling (e.g., in fresh water) may be less efficient to contribute to an enhancement of oil recovery. It is also found that the pressure gradient and residual resistance factor to water (Frrw) are higher if the matrix is less permeable, indicating that the fractured reservoir with lower matrix permeability may require a higher gel strength for treatment. The findings of this study may provide novel insights on designing robust double network gels for water shutoff in fractured reservoirs.

Dependence of lithium metal battery performances on inherent separator porous structure regulation

Boosting of rechargeable lithium metal batteries(LMBs) holds challenges because of lithium dendrites germination and high-reactive surface feature.Separators may experience structure-determined chemical deterioration and worsen Li plating-stripping behaviors when smoothly shifting from lithium-ion batteries(LIBs) to LMBs.This study precisely regulations the crystal structure of β-polypropylene and separator porous construction to investigate the intrinsic porous structure and mechanical properties determined electrochemical performances and cycling durability of LMBs.Crystal structure characterizations,porous structure analyses,and electrochemical cycling tests uncover appropriate annealing thermal stimulation concentrates β-lamellae thickness and enhances lamellae thermal stability by rearranging molecular chain in inferior β-lamellae,maximally homogenizing biaxial tensile deformation and resultant porous constructions.These even pores with high connectivity lower ion migration barriers,alleviate heterogeneous Li^(+) flux dispersion,stabilize reversible Li plating-stripping behaviors,and hinder coursing and branching of Li dendrites,endowing steady cell cycling durability,especially at higher currents due to the highlighted uncontrollable cumulation of dead Li,which offers new insights for the current pursuit of high-power density battery and fast charging technology.The suggested separator structure-chemical nature functions in ensuring cyclic cell stability and builds reliable relationships between separator structure design and practical LMBs applications.

企业刑事合规制度适用对象的反思与修正

针对企业刑事合规制度开展的理论研究与检察试点工作在我国正处于快速发展阶段,但关于合规制度的适用对象,无论是规范设计层面还是实践操作层面都存在着模糊之处。之所以出现此类现象,原因既在于“企业”概念的初始内涵被不当限缩,也在于针对合规制度的比较法考察尚待完善,更在于关乎单位犯罪的刑事法基本规则遭受忽视。为有效节约刑事司法资源,加快调整传统追诉思维,助力法治评估指标提升,应依法改用“单位刑事合规”之表述,在此基础之上重视引导“濒临破产”企业并暂缓落实“人企分离”模式,从而扩大刑事合规制度的适用对象。

3.0T磁共振弥散张量成像技术在诊断三叉神经痛面肌痉挛中的应用价值

目的探讨3.0T磁共振弥散张量成像在三叉神经痛面肌痉挛中的临床诊断价值。方法选2016年4月~2018年8月我院诊治的52例三叉神经痛面肌痉挛患者资料进行分析,将其设置为实验组,选取同期入院的51例健康体检者为对照组。采用3.0T磁共振弥散张量成像检测3D-TOF成像序列结合3D-CISS序列中脑桥小脑角(CAP)池内面神经与周围血管关系,分析3.0T磁共振弥散张量成像在三叉神经痛面肌痉挛中的临床诊断价值。结果实验组患侧与健侧Hosoya评分比较差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);实验组健侧Hosoya评分与对照组双侧Hosoya评分相比差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);实验组患侧Hosoya评分与对照组双侧Hosoya评分比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。面肌痉挛患者中32例行面神经微血管减压术后结果显示15例血管接触或压迫。3.0T磁共振弥散张量成像对神经血管压迫敏感度为94.1%,特异度为86.7%,阳性预测值为88.9%,阴性预测值为92.9%。结论采用3.0T磁共振弥散张量成像诊断、三叉神经痛面肌痉挛患者效果理想,其敏感性及特异性高,可在临床推广应用。

甲强龙对脑出血后灶周MMP-9表达及其神经损伤的保护作用

目的探讨甲强龙对脑出血后灶周基质金属蛋白酶-9(MMP-9)表达及神经损伤保护作用的实验研究。方法通过立体定向仪建立稳定的SD大鼠高血压脑出血模型,将实验动物30只随机分为假手术对照组、脑出血组、甲强龙干预组、空白对照组,每组各7只。甲强龙干预组于术后1小时及24小时后给予35mg/kg的甲强龙腹腔注射,空白对照组腹腔注射等量的生理盐水。在术后第1、3、7天检测各组大鼠的脑含水量、神经功能评分及MMP-9蛋白表达;在术后第3天检测各组大鼠的细胞凋亡、活化小胶质细胞数量。结果甲强龙干预组术后第1、3、7天的脑组织含水量明显低于及空白对照组,组间比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);甲强龙干预组术后第1、3、7天的神经功能评分明显高于空白对照组,组间比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);术后第3天的OX-42免疫组化染色显示甲强龙干预组活化小胶质细胞数量少于空白对照组,组间比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);甲强龙干预组术后的MMP-9蛋白表达明显低于空白对照组,组间比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论甲强龙能抑制大鼠脑出血后MMP-9的高表达且能减轻脑水肿和炎性反应,具有神经功能保护作用。

不同制造方法锂离子电池隔膜微孔结构与性能关系

文中选取目前商业化最成熟的干法单拉、干法双拉及湿法工艺制造的3种锂离子电池隔膜,通过对比3种隔膜在受到不同形式应力时的响应与破坏行为,探讨了不同制造方法制备的锂离子电池隔膜微孔结构与性能的关系。扫描电子显微镜,二维广角X射线衍射以及力学性能实验表明,干法单拉隔膜在挤出过程中的高口模拉伸比赋予隔膜强烈的各向异性,因此机械方向拉伸强度远大于其他方向,其穿刺强度最低;但干法单拉隔膜厚度方向排状片晶结构起到了支撑作用,为隔膜提供了优异的抗压缩性能。而经历过双向拉伸的2种隔膜(干法双拉和湿法)各向异性减弱,因而其穿刺强度更高。同时双向拉伸会造成隔膜厚度方向多层堆叠结构,导致厚度方向支撑或连接结构减少,从而降低隔膜的抗压缩强度,增强隔膜分层趋势。但由于湿法工艺超高的拉伸倍率导致最终隔膜的抗压缩强度最低,隔膜的分层趋势最强。