Review:Layer⁃Number Controllable Preparation of High⁃Quality Graphene for Wide Applications

Graphene, a well-known two-dimensional(2 D) material, has sparked broad enthusiasm in both scientific and industrial communities in these years, due to its exceptional electrical, thermal, mechanical, and versatile properties. However, many properties and applications of graphene are layer-number dependent. The preparation of high-quality graphene with controlled layer numbers is full of challenge, since the layer number varies much with the synthesis routes and relevant experimental conditions. Hence, there is an urgent need to improve the layer-number controllability of graphene preparation. Generally, graphene can be prepared by two complementary approaches: "top-down" and "bottom-up". Since they have their own advantages, the recent advances in the layer-number tunable preparation of high-quality graphene are separately studied from the two aspects in this review, especially those dedicated to single parameter. Some effective strategies are discussed in detail, mainly including 1) supercritical-CO2 assisted sonication, electrochemical exfoliation of graphite intercalation compounds, and layer-by-layer thinning with plasma or laser, for "top-down" graphene;2) chemical vapor deposition(CVD) on dual-metal substrate, ion-implantation CVD, layer-by-layer CVD, plasma-enhanced CVD, layered-double-hydroxides template-assisted CVD;and 3) graphite-enclosure assisted epitaxial growth and pulsed-magnetron-sputtering assisted physical vapor deposition for "bottom-up" graphene on various substrates. In addition, the respective advantages of graphene with different layer numbers in properties and applications are also presented. Finally, the contribution concludes with some important perspectives on the remained challenges and future perspectives.

Stabilization of CSTR w ith Self-tuning Sliding Mode Controller Using T-S Fuzzy Linearization

A self-tuning reaching law based sliding mode control(SMC)theory is proposed to stabilize the nonlinear continuous stirred tank reactor(CSTR).T-S fuzzy logic is used to build a global fuzzy state-space linear model.Combing the traits of SMC and CSTR,three fuzzy rules can meet the requirements of controlled system.The self-tuning switch control law which can drive the state variables to the sliding surface as soon as possible is designed to ensure the robustness of uncertain fuzzy system.Lyapunov equation is applied to proving the stability of the sliding surface.The simulations show that the proposed approach can achieve desired performance with less chattering problem.

Using modified Soil Conservation Service curve number method to simulate the role of forest in flood control in the upper reach of the Tingjiang River in China

To improve flood control efficiency and increase urban resilience to flooding,the impacts of forest type change on flood control in the upper reach of the Tingjiang River(URTR) were evaluated by a modified model based on the Soil Conservation Service curve number(SCS-CN) method. Parameters of the model were selected and determined according to the comprehensive analysis of model evaluation indexes. The first simulation of forest reconstruction scenario,namely a coniferous forest covering 59.35km^2 is replaced by a broad-leaved forest showed no significant impact on the flood reduction in the URTR. The second simulation was added with 61.75km^2 bamboo forest replaced by broad-leaved forest,the reduction of flood peak discharge and flood volume could be improved significantly. Specifically,flood peak discharge of 10-year return period event was reduced to 7-year event,and the reduction rate of small flood was 21%-28%. Moreover,the flood volume was reduced by 9%-14% and 18%-35% for moderate floods and small floods,respectively. The resultssuggest that the bamboo forest reconstruction is an effective control solution for small to moderate flood in the URTR,the effect of forest conversion on flood volume is increasingly reduced as the rainfall amount increases to more extreme magnitude. Using a hydrological model with scenarios analysis is an effective simulation approach in investigating the relationship between forest type change and flood control. This method would provide reliable support for flood control and disaster mitigation in mountainous cities.

Preliminary prediction of the control reproduction number of COVID-19 in Shaanxi Province,China

Objectives Firstly,according to the characteristics of COVID-19 epidemic and the control measures of the government of Shaanxi Province,a general population epidemic model is es-tablished.Then,the control reproduction number of general population epidemic model is obtained.Based on the epidemic model of general population,the epidemic model of general population and college population is further established,and the control reproduction number is also obtained.Methods For the established epidemic model,firstly,the expression of the control reproduc-tion number is obtained by using the next generation matrix.Secondly,the real-time reported data of COVID-19 in Shaanxi Province is used to fit the epidemic model,and the parameters in the model are estimated by least square method and MCMC.Thirdly,the Latin hypercube sampling method and partial rank correlation coefficient(PRCC)are adopted to analyze the sensitivity of the model.Conclusions The control reproduction number remained at 3 from January 23 to January 31,then gradually decreased from 3 to slightly greater than 0.2 by using the real-time reports on the number of COVID-19 infected cases from Health Committee of Shaanxi Province in China.In order to further control the spread of the epidemic,the following measures can be taken:(i)reducing infection by wearing masks,paying attention to personal hygiene and limiting travel;(i)improving isolation of suspected patients and treatment of symptomatic individuals.In particular,the epidemic model of the collge population and the general population is estab-lished,and the control reproduction number is given,which will provide theoretical basis for the prevention and control of the epidemic in the colleges.

Model Reduction Methods for High-Rise Buildings with Active Mass Damper Control Systems

To improve the performance of an active mass damper control system,the controller should be designed based on a reduced-order model. An improved method based on balanced truncation method was proposed to reduce the dimension of high-rise buildings,and was compared with other widely used reduction methods by using a framework with ten floors. This optimized method has improvement of reduction process and choice of the order. Based on the reduced-order model obtained by the improved method and pole-assignment algorithm,a controller was designed. Finally,a comparative analysis of structural responses,transfer functions,and poles was conducted on an actual high-rise building. The results show the effectiveness of the improved method.

Dynamics of a two-group model for assessing the impacts of pre-exposure prophylaxis,testing and risk behaviour change on the spread and control of HIV/AIDS in an MSM population

Although much progress has been made in reducing the public health burden of the human immunodeficiency virus(HIV),which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS),since its emergence in the 1980s(largely due to the large-scale use and availability of potent antiviral therapy,improved diagnostic and intervention and mitigation measures),HIV remains an important public health challenge globally,including in the United States.This study is based on the use of mathematical modeling approaches to assess the population-level impact of pre-exposure prophylaxis(PrEP),voluntary testing(to detect undetected HIV-infected individuals),and changes in human behavior(with respect to risk structure),on the spread and control of HIV/AIDS in an MSM(men-who-have sex-with-men)population.Specifically,a novel two-group mathematical model,which stratifies the total MSM population based on risk(low or high)of acquisition of HIV infection,is formulated.The model undergoes a PrEP-induced backward bifurcation when the control reproduction number of the model is less than one if the efficacy of PrEP to prevent a high-risk susceptible MSM individual from acquiring HIV infection is not perfect(the consequence of which is that,while necessary,having the reproduction number of the model less than one is no longer sufficient for the elimination of the disease in the MSM population).For the case where the efficacy of PrEP is perfect,this study shows that the disease-free equilibrium of the two-group model is globally-asymptotically stable when the associated control reproduction number of the model is less than one.Global sensitivity analysis was carried out to identify the main parameters of the model that have the highest influence on the value of the control reproduction number of the model(thereby,having the highest influence on the disease burden in the MSM population).Numerical simulations of the model,using a plausible range of parameter values,show that if half of the MSM population considered adhere strictly to the specified PrEP regimen(while other interventions are maintained at their baseline values),a reduction of about 22%of the new yearly HIV cases recorded at the peak of the disease could be averted(compared to the worst-case scenario where PrEP-based intervention is not implemented in the MSM population).The yearly reduction at the peak increases to about 50%if the PrEP coverage in the MSM population increases to 80%.This study showed,based on the parameter values used in the simulations,that the prospects of elimination of HIV/AIDS in the MSM community are promising if high-risk susceptible individuals are no more than 15%more likely to acquire HIV infection,in comparison to their low-risk counterparts.Furthermore,these prospects are significantly improved if undetected HIV-infected individuals are detected within an optimal period of time.

Assessment of immunization procedures for foot-and-mouth disease in large-scale pig farms in China based on actual data and dynamics

Foot-and-mouth disease(FMD)is an acute,highly infectious and pathogenic animal disease.In recent years,with the rapid development of the swine breeding industry in China,pig farms have shown a trend of larger-scale development.Large-scale pig farms employ standardized management,a high level of automation,and a strict_system.However,these farms have a large trading volume,and increased transmission intensity of FMD is noted inside the farm.At present,the main control measure against FMD is pig vaccination.However,a standard for immunization procedures is not available,and currently adopted immunization procedures have not been effectively and systematically evaluated.Taking a typical large-scale pig farm in China as the research subject and considering the breeding pattern,piggery structure,age structure and immunization procedures,an individual-based state probability model is established to evaluate the effectiveness of the immune procedure.Based on numerical simulation,it is concluded that the optimal immunization program involves primary immunization at 40 days of age and secondary immunization at 80 days of age for commercial pigs.Breeding boars and breeding sows are immunized 4 times a year,and reserve pigs are immunized at 169 and 259 days of age.According to the theoretical analysis,the average control reproduction number of individuals under the optimal immunization procedure in the farm is 0.4927.In the absence of immunization,the average is 1.7498,indicating that the epidemic cannot be controlled without immunization procedures.

Recursive Zero-COVID model and quantitation of control efforts of the Omicron epidemic in Jilin province

Since the beginning of March 2022,the epidemic due to the Omicron variant has developed rapidly in Jilin Province.To figure out the key controlling factors and validate the model to show the success of the Zero-COVID policy in the province,we constructed a Recursive Zero-COVID Model quantifying the strength of the control measures,and defined the control reproduction number as an index for describing the intensity of interventions.Parameter estimation and sensitivity analysis were employed to estimate and validate the impact of changes in the strength of different measures on the intensity of public health preventions qualitatively and quantitatively.The recursive Zero-COVID model predicted that the dates of elimination of cases at the community level of Changchun and Jilin Cities to be on April 8 and April 17,respectively,which are consistent with the real situation.Our results showed that the strict implementation of control measures and adherence of the public are crucial for controlling the epidemic.It is also essential to strengthen the control intensity even at the final stage to avoid the rebound of the epidemic.In addition,the control reproduction number we defined in the paper is a novel index to measure the intensity of the prevention and control measures of public health.

A Novel Analysis Approach of Uniform Persistence for an Epidemic Model with Quarantine and Standard Incidence Rate

Inspired by the transmission characteristics of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),an epidemic model with quarantine and standard incidence rate is first developed,then a novel analysis approach is proposed for finding the ultimate lower bound of the number of infected individuals,which means that the epidemic is uniformly persistent if the control reproduction number R_(c)>1.This approach can be applied to the related biomat hem at ical models,and some existing works can be improved by using that.In addition,the infection-free equilibrium V^(0)of the model is locally asymptotically stable(LAS)if R_(c)<1 and linearly stable if R_(c)=1;while V^(0)is unstable if R_(c)>1.

Understanding the impact of HIV on mpox transmission in the MSM population: A mathematical modeling study

The recent mpox outbreak(in 2022e2023)has different clinical and epidemiological features compared with previous outbreaks of the disease.During this outbreak,sexual contact was believed to be the primary transmission route of the disease.In addition,the community of men having sex with men(MSM)was disproportionately affected by the outbreak.This population is also disproportionately affected by HIV infection.Given that both diseases can be transmitted sexually,the endemicity of HIV,and the high sexual behavior associated with the MSM community,it is essential to understand the effect of the two diseases spreading simultaneously in an MSM population.Particularly,we aim to understand the potential effects of HIV on an mpox outbreak in the MSM population.We develop a mechanistic mathematical model of HIV and mpox co-infection.Our model incorporates the dynamics of both diseases and considers HIV treatment with antiretroviral therapy(ART).In addition,we consider a potential scenario where HIV infection increases susceptibility to mpox,and investigate the potential impact of this mechanism on mpox dynamics.Our analysis shows that HIV can facilitate the spread of mpox in an MSM population,and that HIV treatment with ART may not be sufficient to control the spread of mpox in the population.However,we showed that a moderate use of condoms or reduction in sexual contact in the population combined with ART is beneficial in controlling mpox transmission.Based on our analysis,it is evident that effective control of HIV,specifically through substantial ART use,moderate condom compliance,and reduction in sexual contact,is imperative for curtailing the transmission of mpox in an MSM population and mitigating the compounding impact of these intertwined epidemics.

Facile one-pot synthesis of NiCo2O4 hollow spheres with controllable number of shells for high-performance supercapacitors

In this work, single- and double-shelled NiCo2O4 hollow spheres have been synthesized in situ by a one-pot solvothermal method assisted by xylose, followed by heat treatment. Employed as supercapacitor electrode materials, the double-shelled NiCo2O4 hollow spheres exhibit a remarkable specific capacitance （1,204.4 F g-1 at a current density of 2.0 A.g-1） and excellent cycling stability （103.6% retention after 10,000 cycles at a current density of 10 A.g-1）. Such outstanding electrochemical performance can be attributed to their unique internal morphology, which provides a higher surface area with a larger number of active sites available to interact with the electrolyte. The versatility of this method was demonstrated by applying it to other binary metal oxide materials, such as ZnCo2O4, ZnMn2O4, and CoMn2O4. The present study thus illustrates a simple and general strategy for the preparation of binary transition metal oxide hollow spheres with a controllable number of shells. This approach shows great promise for the development of next-generation high-performance electrochemical materials.

Analysis and control of micro-stepping characteristics of ultrasonic motor

Micro-stepping motion of ultrasonic motors satisfies biomedical applications, such as cell operation and nuclear magnetic resonance, which require a precise compact-structure non-magnetization positioning device. When the pulse number is relatively small, the stopping characteristics have a non-negligible effect on the entire stepwise process. However, few studies have been conducted to show the rule of the open-loop stepwise motion, especially the shutdown stage. In this study, the modal differences of the shutdown stage are found connected with amplitude and velocity at the turn-off instant. Changes of the length in the contact area and driving zone as well as the input currents, vibration states, output torque, and axial pressure are derived by a simulation model to further explore the rules. The speed curves and vibration results in functions of different pulse numbers are compared, and the stepwise motion can be described by a two-stage two-order transfer function. A test workbench based on the Field Programmable Gate Array is built for acquiring the speed, currents, and feedback voltages of the startup–shutdown stage accurately with the help of its excellent synchronization performances. Therefore, stator vibration, rotor velocity, and terminal displacements under different pulse numbers can be compared. Moreover, the two-stage two-order model is identified on the stepwise speed curves, and the fitness over 85% between the simulation and test verifies the model availability. Finally, with the optimization of the pulse number, the motor achieves 3.3 µrad in clockwise and counterclockwise direction.

3D image reconstruction with a controllable overlapping number of elemental images in computational integral imaging

In this Letter, we propose a three-dimensional （3D） image reconstruction method with a controllable overlapping number of elemental images in computational integral imaging. The proposed method can control the overlap- ping number of pixels coming from the elemental images by using the subpixel distance based on ray optics between a 3D object and an image sensor. The use of a controllable overlapping number enables us to provide an improved 3D image visualization by controlling the inter-pixel interference within the reconstructed pixels. To find the optimal overlapping number, we simulate the pickup and reconstruction processes and utilize the numerical reconstruction results using a peak signal-to-noise ratio （PSNR） metric. To demonstrate the feasibility of our work in optical experiments, we carry out the preliminary experiments and present the results.

Meta-population model about immigrants and natives with heterogeneity mixing and vaccine strategy of tuberculosis in China

China is one of the countries in the world carrying a heavy burden of tuberculosis.Due to the unbalanced economic development,the number of people working in other parts of country is huge,and the mobility of personnel has exacerbated the increase in tuberculosis cases.Most patients affected by this are in their middle and young ages.It is having a great impact among the family and society.Therefore,research on how to control this disease is absolutely necessary.The population is divided into two categories such as local population and the immigrant population.A pulmonary tuberculosis dynamic model with population heterogeneity is established.We calculate the basic reproductive number and the controlled reproductive number,and discuss the two types of population under the constraints given by the amount of vaccine and the optimal immunization ratio obtained is(0.118,0.107),which can reduce the effective reproduction number from 5.85 to 0.227.It is understood that immunizing the local population will control the spread of the epidemic to a large extent,and we simulate the final scale of infection after immunization under the optimal immunization ratio.It can take a minimum of at least 10 years to reduce the spread of this disease,but to eliminate it forever,it needs at least a minimum of 100 years.

Numerical investigation of Reynolds number and scaling effects in microchannels flows

Compared with conventional channels, experiments of microchannel often exhibit some controversial findings and sometimes even opposite trends, most notably the effects of the Reynolds number and the scaled channel height on the Poiseuille number. The experimental method has still been constrained by two key facts, firstly the current ability to machine microstructures and secondly the limitation of measurement of parameters related to the Poiseuille number. As a consequence, numerical method was adopted in this study in order to analyze a flow in two-dimensional rectangular microchannels using water as working fluid. Results are obtained by the solution of the steady laminar incompressible Navier-Stokes equations using control volume finite element method（CVFEM） without pressure correction. The computation was made for channel height ranging from 50 ？m to 4.58 ？m and Reynolds number varying from 0.4 to 1 600. The effect of Reynolds number and channel heights on flow characteristics was investigated. The results showed that the Poiseuille numbers agree fairly well with the experimental measurements proving that there is no scale effect at small channel height. This scaling effect has been confirmed by two additional simulations being carried out at channel heights of 2.5 ？m and 0.5 ？m, respectively and the range of Reynolds number was extended from 0.01 up to 1 600. This study confirm that the conventional analysis approach can be employed with confidence for predicting flow behavior in microchannels when coupled with carefully matched entrance and boundary conditions in the dimensional range considered here.

Global Stability of a Mumps Transmission Model with Quarantine Measure

In this paper,a model of mumps transmission with quarantine measure is proposed and then the control reproduction number Rc of the model is obtained.This model admits a unique endemic equilibrium P*if and only if Rc>1,while the disease-free equilibrium P0 always exists.By using the technique of constructing Lyapunov functions and the generalized Lyapunov-LaSalle theorem,we first show that the equilibrium P0 is globally asymptotically stable(GAS)if Rc≤1;second,we prove that the equilibrium P*is GAS if Rc>1.Our results reveal that mumps can be eliminated from the community for Rc≤1 and it will be persistent for Rc>1,and quarantine measure can also effectively control the mumps transmission.

Risk estimation and prediction of the transmission of coronavirus disease-2019(COVID-19)in the mainland of China excluding Hubei province

Background In December 2019,an outbreak of coronavirus disease(later named as COVID-19)was identified in Wuhan,China and,later on,detected in other parts of China.Our aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of the evolution of interventions and self-protection measures,estimate the risk of partial lifting control measures and predict the epidemic trend of the virus in the mainland of China excluding Hubei province based on the published data and a novel mathematical model.Methods A novel COVID-19 transmission dynamic model incorporating the intervention measures implemented in China is proposed.COVID-19 daily data of the mainland of China excluding Hubei province,including the cumulative confirmed cases,the cumulative deaths,newly confirmed cases and the cumulative recovered cases between 20 January and 3 March 2020,were archived from the National Health Commission of China(NHCC).We parameterize the model by using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo(MCMC)method and estimate the control reproduction number(Rc),as well as the effective daily reproduction ratio-Re(t),of the disease transmission in the mainland of China excluding Hubei province.Results The estimation outcomes indicate that Rc is 3.36(95%CI:3.20–3.64)and Re(t)has dropped below 1 since 31 January 2020,which implies that the containment strategies implemented by the Chinese government in the mainland of China are indeed effective and magnificently suppressed COVID-19 transmission.Moreover,our results show that relieving personal protection too early may lead to a prolonged disease transmission period and more people would be infected,and may even cause a second wave of epidemic or outbreaks.By calculating the effective reproduction ratio,we prove that the contact rate should be kept at least less than 30%of the normal level by April,2020.Conclusions To ensure the pandemic ending rapidly,it is necessary to maintain the current integrated restrict interventions and self-protection measures,including travel restriction,quarantine of entry,contact tracing followed by quarantine and isolation and reduction of contact,like wearing masks,keeping social distance,etc.People should be fully aware of the real-time epidemic situation and keep sufficient personal protection until April.If all the above conditions are met,the outbreak is expected to be ended by April in the mainland of China apart from Hubei province.

Binary Decision Diagram Quantitative Analysis Method Based on Fuzzy Set Theory

A binary decision diagram(BDD) is a data structure that is used to represent a Boolean function.Converting fault tree into BDD can effectively simplify counting processes and improve the accuracy and effectiveness of the results. However, due to various types of uncertainties in reliability data, we cannot obtain precise failure probabilities. In order to accurately quantify the certainties and obtain much more reliable results, we use BDD method based on fuzzy set theory for reliability quantitative analysis. In this regard, we take W-axis feeding system of heavy-duty computer numerical control(CNC) machine as a project example and adopt fuzzy BDD quantitative analysis method to analyze its reliability. The analysis results(aided by computer calculation)illustrate the effectiveness of the method proposed in this paper.