Polynomial kernels for 3-leaf power graph modification problems

A graph G=(V,E) is a 3-leaf power iff there exists a tree T the leaf set of which is V and such that uv∈E iff u and v are at distance at most 3 in T. The 3-leaf power graph edge modification problems, i.e. edition (also known as the closest 3-leaf power), completion and edge-deletion are FPT when parameterized by the size of the edge set modification. However, polynomial kernels were known for none of these three problems. For each of them, we provide kernels with O(k³) vertices that can be computed in linear time. We thereby answer an open problem first mentioned by Dom et al. (2004) [8].     

Improving the Mechanical Properties of Polycarbonate Nanocomposites with Plasma‐Modified Carbon Nanofibers

The mechanical properties of polycarbonate film embedded with carbon nanofibers were studied based on plasma surface modification of carbon nanofibers by the use of polystyrene. The nanofiber surfaces were modified by various processing conditions including plasma polymerization power, nanofiber concentration, and ultrasonication time. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of the carbon nanofiber‐polycarbonate composites were then measured. The mechanical behavior of the composite was found to be affected by dispersion of the nanofibers. Higher plasma power resulted in improved mechanical strength. A maximum strength (10% increase) was achieved at a low concentration (1 wt.%) of nanofibers. The optimization of ultrasonication time indicated that the maximum strength occurred at different times for the composites with different concentrations of the modified carbon nanofibers.     

Echelon Modifications of Vector Bundles

We study a filtered generalization of the operation of elementary modification of vector bundles. The generalization is motivated by applications to the degeneration theory of linear systems.     

Leaf Age-Dependent Photosystem II Photochemistry and Oxidative Stress Responses to Drought Stress in Arabidopsis thaliana Are Modulated by Flavonoid Accumulation

We investigated flavonoid accumulation and lipid peroxidation in young leaves (YL) and mature leaves (ML) of Arabidopsis thaliana plants, whose watering stopped 24 h before sampling, characterized as onset of drought stress (OnDS), six days before sampling, characterized as mild drought stress (MiDS), and ten days before sampling, characterized as moderate drought stress (MoDS). The response to drought stress (DS) of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry, in both leaf types, was evaluated by estimating the allocation of absorbed light to photochemistry (Φ_PSII), to heat dissipation by regulated non-photochemical energy loss (Φ_NPQ) and to non-regulated energy dissipated in PSII (Φ_NO). Young leaves were better protected at MoDS than ML leaves, by having higher concentration of flavonoids that promote acclimation of YL PSII photochemistry to MoDS, showing lower lipid peroxidation and excitation pressure (1 − q_p). Young leaves at MoDS possessed lower 1 − q_p values and lower excess excitation energy (EXC), not only compared to MoDS ML, but even to MiDS YL. They also possessed a higher capacity to maintain low Φ_NO, suggesting a lower singlet oxygen (¹O₂) generation. Our results highlight that leaves of different developmental stage may display different responses to DS, due to differential accumulation of metabolites, and imply that PSII photochemistry in Arabidopsis thaliana may not show a dose dependent DS response.     

Extrinsic fluorescence as a sensitive method for studying photo-degradation of high density polyethylene correlated with mechanical stresses

A fluorescence probe, inserted in a solid polymeric matrix, is used to follow the first steps of photo-degradation by fluorescence spectroscopy. The competition between cross-linking and chain breaking during the degradation entail physical modifications in the macromolecular chains. These modifications usually followed by gel permeation spectroscopy can be studied by extrinsic florescence spectroscopy. Due to the high sensitivity of the fluorescent probe to the polymer matrix evolution, all the structural modifications can be investigated. In particular during the first photo-degradation steps, a correlation with activation energy necessary to the chain mobility is used to understand the sensibility of the fluorescent probe.     

Comparison of the effect of anti-hyperlipidemic drugs from different groups on the phase profile of liposomal membrane–a fluorescence anisotropy study

The study compares the effect of incorporation of three different groups of anti-hyperlipidemic drugs, namely niacin, simvastatin, and fenofibrate on the phase profile of liposomal membranes of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC). The fluorescence anisotropy studies, using 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene as fluorescent probe, have shown that the lipophilic molecule fenofibrate changes phase behavior of DPPC liposomal membrane to a greater extent compared to the changes produced by amphiphilic simvastatin and hydrophilic niacin. This variation in effect can be attributed to the nature of the drug molecules and hence their location in different parts of the liposomal membrane. We have also calculated the changes in van’t Hoff enthalpy values in all these three cases and observed that these values decreased with increase in drug concentrations in the case of simvastatin but for fenofibrate and niacin the effect is completely the reverse. In order to get a better insight, the fraction of motionally restricted lipid molecules has been calculated.     

超声速流动中非线性EASM湍流模式应用研究

针对超声速复杂流动区域精确模拟的需要,发展了基于k-ω可压缩修正形式的非线性显式代数雷诺应力模式（EASM）,提高了该模式对超声速复杂流动的数值模拟精度。通过对二维超声速凹槽和三维双椭球的数值计算表明,与SA和SST常规线性涡黏性湍流模式比较,非线性的EASM模式对大分离以及剪切层流动结构的刻画能力更精细,对剪切层再附区的压力及摩擦系数分布模拟更加精确;EASM模式能够准确地模拟二次激波引起的压强和热流分布情况。     

Modeling biomembranes and red blood cells by coarse-grained particle methods

In this work, the previously developed coarse-grained (CG) particle models for biomembranes and red blood cells (RBCs) are reviewed, and the advantages of the CG particle methods over the continuum and atomistic simulations for modeling biological phenomena are discussed. CG particle models can largely increase the length scale and time scale of atomistic simulations by eliminating the fast degrees of freedom while preserving the mesoscopic structures and properties of the simulated system. Moreover, CG particle models can be used to capture the microstructural alternations in diseased RBCs and simulate the topological changes of biomembranes and RBCs, which are the major challenges to the typical continuum representations of membranes and RBCs. The power and versatility of CG particle methods are demonstrated through simulating the dynamical processes involving significant topological changes, e.g., lipid self-assembly vesicle fusion and membrane budding.     

多巴胺改性UHMWPE粉末对环氧涂层韧性及摩擦性能的影响

利用多巴胺氧化自聚合性质改性超高分子量聚乙烯(UHMWPE)粉末惰性表面,制备得到改性粉末,并添加于环氧树脂中制备成耐磨环氧涂层,同时与添加未改性UHMWPE粉末的环氧涂层对比.采用扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和红外光谱(IR)表征改性粉末表面形貌和化学元素状态,利用摩擦磨损试验机测试环氧涂层表面的摩擦系数和磨损率.结果表明:改性粉末表面黏附1层含极性基团的聚多巴胺,能够与环氧树脂发生反应而固化在涂层中,相容性增强.改性粉末表面O,C元素相对含量比较O/C和N/C值随改性时间延长而增大,在5 h时趋于稳定.当改性粉末添加量从6.7%增至20%时,环氧涂层的抗冲击性能增强,摩擦系数和磨损率随之降低,改善了涂层的摩擦学性能,而且效果优于添加未改性粉末的涂层.