FLOCKING OF A THERMODYNAMIC CUCKER-SMALE MODEL WITH LOCAL VELOCITY INTERACTIONS

In this paper, we study the flocking behavior of a thermodynamic Cucker–Smale model with local velocity interactions. Using the spectral gap of a connected stochastic matrix, together with an elaborate estimate on perturbations of a linearized system, we provide a sufficient framework in terms of initial data and model parameters to guarantee flocking. Moreover, it is shown that the system achieves a consensus at an exponential rate.

Mechanical synergistic interaction between adjacent corrosion defects and its effect on pipeline failure

This work provides a new comprehensive assessment method to determine the complex mechanical interaction of adjacent corrosion defects.Firstly,a three-dimensional(3D)finite element model of pipelines containing adjacent defects(involving longitudinally aligned,circumferentially aligned,and diagonally aligned defects)was developed and validated by full-scale burst tests.Then,the synergistic stress interaction between adjacent defects was analyzed,and the relationship between the burst position of the pipeline and defect spacing was determined.At last,the applicability of several commonly used critical spacing rules for identifying the interaction between adjacent defects was compared and discussed in detail.The results show that the failure position of the pipeline containing adjacent defects is related to the relative position of defects.For longitudinally aligned corrosion defects,the stronger the interaction between defects(i.e.,the shorter the distance between two defects),the closer the failure position of the pipeline to the center of the defect spacing.For circumferentially aligned corrosion defects,the failure position of the pipe tends to move from the defect edge to the geometric center of the defect with increasing defect spacing.For diagonally aligned defects,the failure position is generally located on the path connecting the defect and the spacing.The currently available evaluation criteria for identifying circumferentially interacting defects display the most accuracy,and the identification effect of diagonally aligned defects is the poorest.In addition,the critical spacing rule proposed by Li presents the highest precision in identifying the interacting defects.The results are expected to provide a stress synergistic failure assessment method for pipelines containing cluster corrosion defects in engineering.

INTERACTION OF PARTICLES WITH A SOLIDIFIED INTERFACE DURING SOLIDIFICATION OF METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE REINFORCED WITH PARTICLES

The interaction of particles with a solid-liquid interface during solidification of metal matrix composites has been investigated theoretically in this paper.Owing to the presence of particles in the melt,the shape of the solidification front and solute concentration field in front of solidification interface have been disturbed The thermodynamic method was employed,and a mathematical expression of the shape of the solidification interface and solute concentration field were deduced.Meanwhile,a theory is developed for evaluation of critical velocities of particles pushed by the solidification interface.A numerical simulation is done in which the critical velocity is evaluated as a function of particle size,thermal conductivity,diffusion coefficient,temperature gradient at the solidification front,the solid-liquid interfacial energy and the melt viscosity.The critical velocity is shown to be closely linked to the shape of the solidification interface and solute concentration field, and hence all the parameters also affect the shape of the solidification interface and solute concentration field of the front.

Modeling One Dimensional Two-Cell Model with Tumor Interaction Using Krylov Subspace Methods

A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells grow, sometimes very rapidly, into an abnormal mass of tissue. The tumor can infect normal tissue, so there is an interaction between healthy and infected cell. The aim of this paper is to propose some efficient and accurate numerical methods for the computational solution of one-dimensional continuous basic models for the growth and control of brain tumors. After computing the analytical solution, we construct approximations of the solution to the problem using a standard second order finite difference method for space discretization and the Crank-Nicolson method for time discretization. Then, we investigate the convergence behavior of Conjugate gradient and generalized minimum residual as Krylov subspace methods to solve the tridiagonal toeplitz matrix system derived.

A Versatile Method for Uniform Dispersion of Nanocarbons in Metal Matrix Based on Electrostatic Interactions

Realizing the uniform dispersion of nanocarbons such as carbon nanotube and graphene in metals, is an essential prerequisite to fully exhibit their enhancement effect in mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of metal matrix composites(MMCs). In this work, we propose an effective method to achieve uniform distribution of nanocarbons in various metal flakes through a slurry-based method. It relies on the electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged nanocarbons and the positively charged metal flakes when mixed in slurry. For case study, flake metal powders(Al, Mg, Ti,Fe, and Cu) were positively charged in aqueous suspension by spontaneous ionization or cationic surface modification. While nanocarbons, given examples as carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotubes, pristine single-walled carbon nanotube, and carbon nanotube–graphene oxide hybrid were negatively charged by the ionization of oxygen-containing functional groups or anionic surfactant. It was found that through the electrostatic interaction mechanism, all kinds of nanocarbons can be spontaneously and efficiently adsorbed onto the surface of various metal flakes. The development of such a versatile method would provide us great opportunities to fabricate advanced MMCs with appealing properties.

Spatial Interaction Between the Industrial Undertaking Capacity and Global Value Chain Position of East Asian Countries

A comprehensive understanding of the spatial interaction between the industrial undertaking capability and the position of the global value chain of the 12 East Asian countries is conducive to strengthening regional cooperation, gaining a say in foreign trade and becoming the dominant player in the global division of labor system. The article reveals the operating rules of the interaction between the industrial undertaking capacity and the global value chain position of East Asian countries by calculating the Global Moran Index(Moran’s I), coupling coordination degree and other indicators. The results show that: in time, the values of industrial undertaking capacity and the positions of global value chain in East Asian countries showed a sustained and stable growth trend, and have a consistent trend of change. Spatially, both of the two indexes had significant positive spatial correlation, with Moran’s I showing an ‘inverted U’pattern, and the spatial aggregation distribution of global value chain position lagged behind the spatial aggregation distribution of industrial undertaking capacity by one year. In terms of spatial coupling coordination, the coupling coordination values of the two indicators show a steady upward trend. Combined with the comparative advantage of each country, this paper provides suggestions for promoting the positions of Chinese and other East Asian industries in the global value chain from the perspectives of enhancing independent innovation capability and upgrading industrial structure.

Vibration analysis of fluid- structure interaction in water hammer based on transfer matrix method

In consideration of the problem that the effect of conduit structure on water hammer has been ignored in the classical theory,the Poisson coupling between the fluid and the pipeline was studied and a fourteen-equation mathematical model of fluid-structure interaction(FSI)was developed.Then,the transfer matrix method(TMM)was used to calculate the modal frequency,modal shape and frequency response.The results were compared with that in experiment to verify the correctness of the TMM and the results show that the fluid-structure coupling has a greater impact on the modal frequencies than the modal shape.Finally,the influence on the response spectrum of different damping ratios was studied and the results show that the natural frequency under different damping ratios has changed little but there is a big difference for the pressure spectrum.With the decreasing of damping ratio,the damping of the system on frequency spectrum is more and more significant and the dispersion and dissipation is more and more apparent.Therefore the appropriate damping ratio should be selected to minimize the effects of the vibration of the FSI.The results provide references for the theory research of FSI in the transient process.

Effects of electrical resistance on the spontaneous combustion tendency of coal and the interaction matrix concept

There have been several developments in determining the spontaneous combustion liability of coal. Most of the methods of concern have purely been based on the internal properties of the coal itself. The relation between the crossing-point method and the electrical resistance of coal was examined here to outline the spontaneous combustion tendency of coal, The electrical resistance property of coal was looked into as a decision-making parameter of the interaction matrix concept for the final decision on the spontaneous combustion tendency.

Three-dimensional aspects of formulation excipients in drug discovery:a critical assessment on orphan excipients,matrix effects and drug interactions

Formulation/pharmaceutical excipients play a major role in formulating drug candidates,with the objectives of ease of administration,targeted delivery and complete availability.Many excipients used in pharmaceutical formulations are orphanized in preclinical drug discovery.These orphan excipients could enhance formulatability of highly lipophilic compounds.Additionally,they are safe in preclinical species when used below the LD50 values.However,when the excipients are used in formulating compounds with diverse physico-chemical properties,they pose challenges by modulating study results through their bioanalytical matrix effects.Excipients invariably present in study samples and not in the calibration curve standards cause over-/under-estimation of exposures.Thus,the mechanism by which excipients cause matrix effects and strategies to nullify these effects needs to be revisited.Furthermore,formulation excipients cause drug interactions by moderating the pathways of drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transport proteins.Although it is not possible to get rid of excipient driven interactions,it is always advised to be aware of these interactions and apply the knowledge to draw meaningful conclusions from study results.In this review,we will comprehensively discuss a)orphan excipients that have wider applications in preclinical formulations,b)bioanalytical matrix effects and possible approaches to mitigating these effects,and c)excipient driven drug interactions and strategies to alleviate the impacts of drug interactions.

The interaction of versican with its binding partners

Versican belongs to the family of the large aggregating chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans located primarily within the extracellular matrix （ECM）. Versican, like other members of its family, has unique N- and C-terminal globular regions, each with multiple motifs. A large glycosaminoglycan-binding region lies between them. This review will begin by outlining these structures, in the context of ECM proteoglycans. The diverse binding partners afforded to versican by virtue of its modular design will then be examined. These include ECM components, such as hyaluronan, type Ⅰ collagen, tenascin-R, fibulin-1, and -2, fibrillin-1, fibronectin, P- and L-selectins, and chemokines. Versican also binds to the cell surface proteins CD44, integrin β1, epidermal growth factor receptor, and P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1. These multiple interactors play important roles in cell behaviour, and the roles of versican in modulating such processes are discussed.

Nurses’ stories about their interactions with patients at the Holy Family Hospital, Techiman, Ghana

Factors, which induced positive nurse-client interac-tions and barriers to positive nurse-client interactions from the perspective of nurses at Holy Family Hos-pital, were explored. In all, twelve State Registered Nurses participated in semi-structured interviews. Factors which induced positive nurse-client interac-tion included availability of adequate time, showing empathy, giving prompt care, considering nursing as a call (spiritual interpretation) and rendering holistic care. Factors which induced negative nurse-client interaction included differences in beliefs between the nurse and the client, perceptions of unfair treatment, payment requirement and processes, issues with clients’ relatives, client issues, miscommunications and misunderstandings about treatment needs, coer-cion, forced dependence, human resource issues, professional nursing issues, issues with work envi-ronment, nurse issues, lack of communication and good interaction, and dropping of professional ethics. Suggestions for nursing education, practice and ad-ministration have been outlined. Among them is the need to use role-play as a major teaching method for nursing students to develop empathic behaviours so that they can put themselves in clients’ situations. This understanding will allow them to practise quality nursing after completing their educational programs. There is also the need for policy makers in nursing to institute measures to hold nurses accountable if they abuse clients or clients’ relatives. Lastly, as an important tool, nurses and other health care workers can make use of reflective practice to evaluate their professional interactions with clients and their relatives. This will foster positive nurse-client interaction in future.

A SEMI-ANALYTICAL AND SEMI-NUMERICAL METHOD FOR SOLVING 2-D SOUND-STRUCTURE INTERACTION PROBLEMS

Based on the transfer matrix method and the virtual source simulation technique, this paper proposes a novel semi-analytical and semi-numerical method for solving 2-D sound- structure interaction problems under a harmonic excitation.Within any integration segment, as long as its length is small enough,along the circumferential curvilinear coordinate,the non- homogeneous matrix differential equation of an elastic ring of complex geometrical shape can be rewritten in terms of the homogeneous one by the method of extended homogeneous capacity proposed in this paper.For the exterior fluid domain,the multi-circular virtual source simulation technique is adopted.The source density distributed on each virtual circular curve may be ex- panded as the Fourier's series.Combining with the inverse fast Fourier transformation,a higher accuracy and efficiency method for solving 2-D exterior Helmholtz's problems is presented in this paper.In the aspect of solution to the coupling equations,the state vectors of elastic ring induced by the given harmonic excitation and generalized forces of coefficients of the Fourier series can be obtained respectively by using a high precision integration scheme combined with the method of extended homogeneous capacity put forward in this paper.According to the superposition princi- ple and compatibility conditions at the interface between the elastic ring and fluid,the algebraic equation of system can be directly constructed by using the least square approximation.Examples of acoustic radiation from two typical fluid-loaded elastic rings under a harmonic concentrated force are presented.Numerical results show that the method proposed is more efficient than the mixed FE-BE method in common use.

Interaction between castanospermine an immunosuppressant and cyclosporin A in rat cardiac transplantation

AIM: To investigate the interaction between castanospermine and cyclosporin A(Cs A) and to provide an explanation for it.METHODS: The alkaloid castanospermine was prepared from the seeds of Castanospermum austral consistently achieving purity. Rat heterotopic cardiac transplantation and mixed lymphocyte reactivity were done using genetically inbred strains of PVG(donor) and DA(recipient). For the mixed lymphocyte reaction stimulator cells were irradiated with 3000 rads using a linear accelerator. Cyclosporin A was administered by gavage and venous blood collected 2 h later(C_2). The blood levels of Cs A(Neoral) were measured by immunoassay which consisted of a homogeneous enzyme assay(EMIT) on Cobas Mira. Statistical analyses of interactions were done by an acceleratedfailure time model with Weibull distribution for allograft survival and logistic regression for the mixed lymphocyte reactivity.RESULTS: Castanospermine prolonged transplant survival times as a function of dose even at relatively low doses. Cyclosporin A also prolonged transplant survival times as a function of dose particularly at doses above 2 mg/kg. There were synergistic interactions between castanospermine and Cs A in the prolongation of cardiac allograft survival for dose ranges of Cs A by castanospermine of(0 to 2) mg/kg by(0 to 200) mg/kg(HR = 0.986; 95%CI: 0.981-0.992; P < 0.001) and(0 to 3) mg/kg by(0 to 100) mg/kg(HR = 0.986; 95%CI: 0.981-0.992; P < 0.001) respectively. The addition of castanospermine did not significantly increase the levels of cyclosporin A on day 3 or day 6 for all doses of Cs A. On the contrary, cessation of castanospermine in the presence of Cs A at 2 mg/kg significantly increased the Cs A level(P = 0.002). Castanospermine inhibited mixed lymphocyte reactivity in a dose dependent manner but without synergistic interaction. CONCLUSION: There is synergistic interaction between castanospermine and Cs A in rat cardiac transplantation. Neither the mixed lymphocyte reaction nor the metabolism of Cs A provides an explanation.

Lattice Green's Function for Infinite Square Lattice in the Second Nearest-Neighbour Interaction Approximation

In dealing with the square lattice model,we replace the traditionally needed Born-Von Karmann periodic boundary condition with additional Hamiltonian terms to make up a ring lattice.In doing so,the lattice Green's function of an infinite square lattice in the second nearest-neighbour interaction approximation can be derived by means of the matrix Green's function method.It is shown that the density of states may change when the second nearest-neighbour interaction is turned on.

An interacting multiple model-based two-stage Kalman filter for vehicle positioning

To address the problem that a general augmented state Kalman filter or a two-stage Kalman filter cannot achieve satisfactory positioning performance when facing uncertain noise of the micro-electro-mechanical system（MEMS） inertial sensors, a novel interacting multiple model-based two-stage Kalman filter（IMM-TSKF） is proposed to adapt to the uncertain inertial sensor noise. Three bias filters are developed based on different noise characteristics to cover a wide range of noise levels. Then, an accurate estimation of biases is calculated by the interacting multiple model algorithm to correct the bias-free filter. Thus, the vehicle positioning system can achieve good performance when suffering from uncertain inertial sensor noise. The experimental results indicate that the average position error of the proposed IMMTSKF is 25% lower than that of the general TSKF.

RF-PSSM:A Combination of Rotation Forest Algorithm and Position-Specific Scoring Matrix for Improved Prediction of Protein-Protein Interactions Between Hepatitis C Virus and Human

The identification of hepatitis C virus(HCV)virus-human protein interactions will not only help us understand the molecular mechanisms of related diseases but also be conductive to discovering new drug targets.An increasing number of clinically and experimentally validated interactions between HCV and human proteins have been documented in public databases,facilitating studies based on computational methods.In this study,we proposed a new computational approach,rotation forest position-specific scoring matrix(RF-PSSM),to predict the interactions among HCV and human proteins.In particular,PSSM was used to characterize each protein,two-dimensional principal component analysis(2DPCA)was then adopted for feature extraction of PSSM.Finally,rotation forest(RF)was used to implement classification.The results of various ablation experiments show that on independent datasets,the accuracy and area under curve(AUC)value of RF-PSSM can reach 93.74% and 94.29%,respectively,outperforming almost all cutting-edge research.In addition,we used RF-PSSM to predict 9 human proteins that may interact with HCV protein E1,which can provide theoretical guidance for future experimental studies.

Flocking of a Cucker–Smale Type Model with Compactly Supported Interaction Functions

How to analyze flocking behaviors of a multi-agent system with local interaction functions is a challenging problem in theory.Motsch and Tadmor in 2011 also stressed the significance to assume that the interaction function is rapidly decaying or cut-off at a finite distance(cf.Motsch and Tadmor in J.Stat.Phys.2011).In this paper,we study the flocking behavior of a Cucker–Smale type model with compactly supported interaction functions.Using properties of a connected stochastic matrix,together with an elaborate analysis on perturbations of a linearized system,we obtain a sufficient condition imposed only on model parameters and initial data to guarantee flocking.Moreover,it is shown that the system achieves flocking at an exponential rate.

Reduced-order modeling and vibration transfer analysis of a fluid-delivering branch pipeline that consider fluid–solid interactions

The efficient dynamic modeling and vibration transfer analysis of a fluid-delivering branch pipeline(FDBP)are essential for analyzing vibration coupling effects and implementing vibration reduction optimization.Therefore,this study proposes a reduced-order dynamic modeling method suitable for FDBPs and then analyzes the vibration transfer characteristics.For the modeling method,the finite element method and absorbing transfer matrix method(ATMM)are integrated,considering the fluid–structure coupling effect and fluid disturbances.The dual-domain dynamic substructure method is developed to perform the reduced-order modeling of FDBP,and ATMM is adopted to reduce the matrix order when solving fluid disturbances.Furthermore,the modeling method is validated by experiments on an H-shaped branch pipeline.Finally,transient and steady-state vibration transfer analyses of FDBP are performed,and the effects of branch locations on natural characteristics and vibration transfer behavior are analyzed.Results show that transient vibration transfer represents the transfer and conversion of the kinematic,strain,and damping energies,while steady-state vibration transfer characteristics are related to the vibration mode.In addition,multiple-order mode exchanges are triggered when branch locations vary in frequency-shift regions,and the mode-exchange regions are also the transformation ones for vibration transfer patterns.

Application of interacting multiple model in integrated positioning system of vehicle

To solve low precision and poor stability of the extended Kalman filter （EKF） in the vehicle integrated positioning system owing to acceleration, deceleration and turning （hereinafter referred to as maneuvering） , the paper presents an adaptive filter algorithm that combines interacting multiple model （IMM） and non linear Kalman filter. The algorithm describes the motion mode of vehicle by using three state spacemode]s. At first, the parallel filter of each model is realized by using multiple nonlinear filters. Then the weight integration of filtering result is carried out by using the model matching likelihood function so as to get the system positioning information. The method has advantages of nonlinear system filter and overcomes disadvantages of single model of filtering algorithm that has poor effects on positioning the maneuvering target. At last, the paper uses IMM and EKF methods to simulate the global positioning system （OPS）/inertial navigation system （INS）/dead reckoning （DR） integrated positioning system, respectively. The results indicate that the IMM algorithm is obviously superior to EKF filter used in the integrated positioning system at present. Moreover, it can greatly enhance the stability and positioning precision of integrated positioning system.

Positive Interactions： Crucial Organizers in a Plant Community

For more than a century, ecologists have concentrated on competition as a crucial process for community organization. However, more recent experimental investigations have uncovered the striking Influence of positive Interactions on the organization of plant communities. Complex combinations of competition and positive interactions operating simultaneously among plant species seem to be widespread In nature. In the present paper, we reviewed the mechanism and ecological importance of positive Interactions In plant communities, emphasizing the certainties and uncertainties that have made It an attractive area of research. Positive Interactions, or facilitation, occur when one species enhances the survival, growth, or richness of another. The Importance of facilitation in plant organization increases with ablotlc stress and the relative Importance of competition decreases. Only by combining plant interactions and the many fields of biology can we fully understand how and when the positive Interactions occur.