Precise measurement and control of the pressure-driven flows for microfluidic systems

The pressure-driven device is designed and the flow rates of the microfluidic systems can be supplied by the pressure-driven flows, which can significantly reduce the flow-rate fluctuations coming from the pump source. For pressure-driven flows, the flow rates of the fluids can be predicted by measuring the pressure drop along a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tubing. Especially, by varying the geometrical parameters of the PTFE tubing, the predicted flow rates of the fluids are compared with the experimental measurements, and the testing precision of the pressure-driven flows can be obtained. Meanwhile, the dynamic characteristics of the open-loop and closed-loop control pressure-driven device are comparatively studied. Particularly, a proportional and integral (PI) controller is integrated with the closed-loop control pressure-driven device, and the effects of the parameters of the PI controller on the dynamic characteristics of the pressure-driven devices are mainly discussed. Most importantly, by improving the dynamic characteristics of the pressure-driven devices, precise measurement and control of the pressure-driven flows can be achieved for microfluidic systems.     

Towards the meV limit of the effective neutrino mass in neutrinoless double-beta decays

We emphasize that it is extremely important for future neutrinoless double-beta(0νββ)decay experiments to reach the sensitivity to the effective neutrino mass|mββ|≈1 meV.With such a sensitivity,it is highly possible to discover the signals of 0νββ decays.If no signal is observed at this sensitivity level,then either neutrinos are Dirac particles or stringent constraints can be placed on their Majorana masses.In this paper,assuming the sensitivity of|mββ|≈1 meV for future 0νββ decay experiments and the precisions on neutrion oscillation parameters after the JUNO experiment,we fully explore the constrained regions of the lightest neutrino mass m1 and two Majorana-type CP-violating phases{ρ,σ}.Several important conclusions in the case of normal neutrino mass ordering can be made.First,the lightest neutrino mass is severely constrained to a narrow range m1∈[0.7,8]meV,which together with the precision measurements of neutrino mass-squared differences from oscillation experiments completely determines the neutrino mass spectrum m2∈[8.6,11.7]meV ing phases is limited to ρ∈[130°,230°],which cannot be obtained from any other realistic experiments.Third,the sum of three neutrino masses is found to beΣ≡m1+m2+m3∈[59.2,72.6]meV,while the effective neutrino mass for beta decays turns out to be mβ≡(|Ue1|2m1^2+|Ue2|2m2^2+|Ue3|2m3^2)1/2∈[8.9,12.6]meV.These observations clearly set up the roadmap for future non-oscillation neutrino experiments aiming to solve the fundamental problems in neutrino physics.     

Effect of defects on the electronic structure of a PbI2/MoS2 van der Waals heterostructure: A first-principles study

PbI2/MoS2,as a typical van der Waals(vdW)heterostructure,has attracted intensive attention owing to its remarkable electronic and optoelectronic properties.In this work,the effect of defects on the electronic structures of a PbI2/MoS2 heterointerface has been systematically investigated.The manner in which the defects modulate the band structure of PbI2/MoS2,including the band gap,band edge,band alignment,and defect energy-level density within the band gap is discussed herein.It is shown that sulfur defects tune the band gaps,iodine defects shift the positions of the band edge and Fermi level,and lead defects realize the conversions between the straddling-gap band alignment and valence-band-aligned gap,thus enhancing the light-absorption ability of the material.     

Exponential ultimate boundedness of fractional-order differential systems via periodically intermittent control

Nonlinear Dynamics - This article investigates the exponential ultimate boundedness of fractional-order differential systems via periodically intermittent control. By utilizing the Lyapunov...     

The impact of environmental regulations on forest product trade in China

Forest product trade plays an important role in the development of the Chinese forest industry. The trading value of forest product has shown a yearly growth rate of 12% during the last five recent years. Stringent environmental regulations in China have a profound impact on raw material supplies and industrial production in the forest sector; however, their impact on the forest product trade is still unclear. This study applies fixed and random effects models as well as a seemingly unrelated regression model to investigate the impact of environmental regulations on the trade of forest product from 2002 to 2015. The results indicate that the stringent environmental regulations promoted the import but restricted the export of forest product in general. Specifically, the stringent environmental regulations stimulated the import but had an ambiguous impact on the export of the paper product. The stringent environmental regulations had also stimulated the import of wood product but inhibited the export. In contrast, wooden furniture had been affected minimally; only export got slightly negatively affected by environmental regulations. Recommendations for resource managers:

• Trade‐offs between economic growth and environmental regulations are needed to smoothly promote the forest product trade in China.
• Paper and wooden furniture product sectors are less likely to be affected by stringent environmental regulations, because high value‐added products could compensate for environmental costs.
• The wood product sector is more likely to be negatively affected by stringent environmental regulations because environmental costs could severely impact the competitiveness of low value‐added products.

     

Metabolomics study on promoting blood circulation and ameliorating blood stasis: Investigating the mechanism of Angelica sinensis and its processed products

Angelica sinensis (Danggui, DG) parched with alcohol (Jiu Danggui, JDG) and charred DG are the main processed products of DG, which are used to treat blood stasis syndrome (BSS). However, their therapeutic effect and mechanisms are still unclear. Based on an acute rat BSS model, the intervention effects of DG and its processed products (DGPPs) were evaluated by the hemorheology and coagulation function parameters. Meanwhile, plasma and urine metabolites were detected and analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and multivariate statistical analysis method. The results of hemorheology, coagulation function parameters and metabolomics all showed that the BSS model was successfully established, DGPPs intervention could significantly relieve rats BSS and the therapeutic effect of JDG was best. Moreover, 23 differential metabolites (14 in plasma and nine in urine) were identified that were closely related to the BSS, involving seven potential target metabolic pathways. DGPP intervention showed different degrees of reverse effect on these metabolites. JDG was the most effective owing to extensive regulation effect on differential metabolites. This study provides a reference for understanding the pathological mechanism of BSS and the mechanism of DGPPs, which lays a theoretical foundation for the rational use of DGPPs in clinical practice.     

Comparative in vivo constituents and pharmacokinetic study in rats after oral administration of ultrafine granular powder and traditional decoction slices of Chinese Salvia

Salvia miltiorrhiza, one of the most well‐known herbal medicines, is commonly used for the treatment of coronary heart diseases in China. Besides traditional decoction slices (TDS), another relatively new product of S. miltiorrhiza, ultrafine granular powder (UGP; D90 < 45 μm), is also increasingly being used. In this paper, a UHPLC‐LTQ‐Orbitrap MS technique was developed for a metabolite profile study after oral administration of UGP and TDS of S. miltiorrhiza. The results showed that the number of in vivo absorbed compounds from UGP was much greater than that from TDS, and different types of products from S. miltiorrhiza will have different metabolic processes in vivo. Furthermore, a UHPLC‐Q‐Trap MS/MS method for simultaneously determining four tanshinones (tanshinone IIA, dihydrotanshinone I, tanshinone I and cryptotanshinone) was established and applied to assess the pharmacokinetics of the two types of products. All of the analytes displayed significant higher area under the concentration–time curve and peak concentration after oral administration of UGP than after TDS, indicating that ultrafine powder product could improve the bioavailability and absorption of cryptotanshinon,tanshinone II A,dihydrotanshinonE I and tanshinone I in vivo. The present study provides scientific information for further exploration of the pharmacology of these two types of S. miltiorrhiza and offers a reference for clinical administration of S. miltiorrhiza.     

Single‐armed salamo‐like dioxime and its multinuclear Cu (II), Zn (II) and Cd (II) complexes: Syntheses,structural characterizations,Hirshfeld analyses and fluorescence properties

Three multinuclear Cu (II), Zn (II) and Cd (II) complexes, [Cu₂(L)(μ‐OAc)]·CHCl₂ ( 1 ), [Zn₂(L)(μ‐OAc)(H₂O)]·3CHCl₃ ( 2 ) and [{Cd₂(L)(OAc)(CH₃CH₂OH)}₂]·2CH₃CH₂OH ( 3 ) with a single‐armed salamo‐like dioxime ligand H₃L have been synthesized, and characterized by FT‐IR, UV–vis, X‐ray crystallography and Hirshfeld surfaces analyses. The ligand H₃L has a linear structure and C‐H···π interactions between the two molecules. The complex 1 is a dinuclear Cu (II) complex, Cu1 and Cu2 are all five‐coordinate possessing distorted square pyramidal geometries. The complex 2 also forms a dinuclear Zn (II) structure, and Zn1 and Zn2 are all five‐coordinate bearing distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometries. The complex 3 is a symmetrical tetranuclear Cd (II) complex, and Cd1 is a hexa‐coordinate having octahedral configuration and Cd2 is hepta‐coordinate with a pentagonal bipyramidal geometry, and it has π···π interactions inside the molecule. In addition, fluorescence properties of the ligand and its complexes 1 – 3 have also been discussed.     

The local ultraconvergence of high‐order finite element method for second‐order elliptic problems with constant coefficients over a rectangular partition

In this article, we will discuss the local ultraconvergence of high‐degree finite element method based on a rectangular partition for the second‐degree elliptic problem with constant coefficients in Ω ? ?² , u( y ) = 0 on ?Ω . Based on suitable regularity, ultraconvergence of the displacement of the extrapolated kth (k ≥ 3) degree finite element solution has been obtained by an extrapolation technique. Finally, numerical experiments are applied to demonstrate our theoretical findings.