Functionalization of Polyethyleneimine with Hollow Cyclotriveratrylene and Its Subsequent Supramolecular Interaction with Doxorubicin

In this paper, a modified Cyclotriveratrylene was synthesized and linked to a branched Polyethylenimine, and this unique polymeric material was subsequently examined as a potential supramolecular carrier for Doxorubicin. Spectroscopic analysis in different solvents had shown that Doxorubicin was coordinated within the hollow-shaped unit of the armed Cyclotriveratrylene, and the nature of the host–guest complex revealed intrinsic Van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonding between the host and guest. The strongest interaction was detected in water because of the hydrophobic effect shared between the aromatic groups of the Doxorubicin and Cyclotriveratrylene unit. Density functional theory calculations had also confirmed that in the most stable coordination of Doxorubicin with the cross-linked polymer, the aromatic rings of the Doxorubicin were localized toward the Cyclotriveratrylene core, while its aliphatic chains aligned closer with amino groups, thus forming a compact supramolecular assembly that may confer a shielding effect on Doxorubicin. These observations had emphasized the importance of supramolecular considerations when designing a novel drug delivery platform.     

Behavior of concrete cylinders confined by carbon-composite tapes and prestressed yarns 1. Experimental data

The results of a comprehensive test program for the mechanical behavior of round concrete specimens confined by carbon-fiber epoxy tapes and prestressed carbon yarns are reported. Five different concrete batches of compressive strength from 20 to 100 MPa and the confinement of various thickness and pretension level were investigated. The specimens, which were subjected to monotonic or repeated compressive loadings, showed a nonlinear stress-strain behavior with a significant ductility and increased ultimate strength, in contrary to the brittle behavior of plain concrete. The limit of linearity on the stress-strain diagrams of the confined concrete roughly coincided with the ultimate strength of plain concrete. Above this limit, the damage accumulation and plastic deformations proceeded in the confined specimens. This fact was evidenced by the increasing slope of deformation diagrams in unloadings and repeated loadings and by the pronounced residual strains. The limit of linearity could be raised significantly by pretension of the carbon yarns during their winding. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 21–44, January–February, 2006.     

Fractional Brownian Heavy Traffic Approximations of Multiclass Feedforward Queueing Networks

We consider multiclass feedforward queueing networks under first in first out and priority service disciplines driven by long-range dependent arrival and service time processes. We show that in critical loading the normalized workload, queue length and sojourn time processes can converge to a multi-dimensional reflected fractional Brownian motion. This weak heavy traffic approximation is deduced from a deterministic pathwise approximation of the network behavior close to constant critical load in terms of the solution of a Skorokhod problem. Since we model the doubly infinite time interval, our results directly cover the stationary case.AMS subject classification: primary 90B15, secondary 60K25, 68M20     

A tree search method for the container loading problem with shipment priority

This paper addresses a special kind of container loading problem with shipment priority. We present a tree search method, which is based on a greedy heuristic. In the greedy heuristic, blocks made up of identical items with the same orientation are selected for packing into a container. Five evaluation functions are proposed for block selection, and the different blocks selected by each evaluation function constitute the branches of the search tree. A method of space splitting and merging is also embedded in the algorithm to facilitate efficient use of the container space. In addition, the proposed algorithm covers an important constraint called shipment priority to solve practical problems. The validity of the proposed algorithm is examined by comparing the present results with those of published algorithms using the same data.     

Nd∶YVO4/Nd∶GdVO4双波长激光器的功率均衡实验研究

实验研究了Nd∶YVO4/Nd∶GdVO4双波长激光器在不同抽运功率条件下,通过调节热沉温度达到功率均衡时的输出特性.实验结果表明:对于Nd∶YVO4/Nd∶GdVO4双波长激光器,当提高抽运功率,需要重新降低热沉温度达到功率均衡输出,降温幅度与抽运功率增加之比为11.23℃/W.与此同时,随着抽运功率和热沉温度的变化,双波长激光器的中心波长会出现小幅度的漂移,左峰波长随抽运功率增加的蓝移速率为0.056 nm/W,右峰波长随抽运功率增加的蓝移速率为0.054 nm/W.实验还发现功率均衡条件下激光器的输出总功率随抽运功率的增加而增加,拟合斜效率为8.7%,当抽运功率为5.58 W时,输出最大总功率达到115.7 mW.     

带时间窗的三维装载物流配送优化方法研究

针对城市物流配送优化研究在客户服务时间窗和货物装载方式合理结合方面存在的不足,考虑物流配送车厢货物装载方式与客户访问序列相关的特征对车厢空间进行合理的区域划分。首先,构建了包含配送中心的固定成本、配送车辆的运输成本、维修成本、租赁成本和违反时间窗惩罚成本的物流运营成本最小化和配送车辆空间利用率最大化的双目标优化模型;然后,提出一种结合遗传算法(GA)全局搜索能力和禁忌搜索算法(TS)局部搜索能力的GA-TS混合算法求解模型;最后,结合重庆市某配送中心的三维装载物流配送实例数据进行了优化计算,实验结果给出了带时间窗的三维装载物流配送路径优化方案,并进行了不同车厢空间分区模式下平均装载率、物流运营成本和车辆使用数的比较分析。研究表明,当客户需求货物种类数与车辆的空间区域划分数相等且按货物类型进行区域划分时,物流运营成本最小,配送车辆使用数最少和车辆平均装载率最高。     

典型荷载条件下淤泥孔径分布特征核磁共振试验研究

模拟了淤泥地基加固工况对应的几种典型荷载效应,并利用核磁共振测试寻求典型荷载水平和速率下,淤泥孔隙及其孔径分布的变化规律,以探讨淤泥地基典型加固条件下微细观结构的三维响应.结果表明:在一定压力作用下,淤泥中最大孔隙数将会减少,应力水平越高,减少量越大,而当冲击荷载达到更高的某一水平时,淤泥中最大孔隙和最小孔隙所占比例均会减小,孔隙更趋于均匀;约束样品的侧限刚度将会增加淤泥土的总受力水平,进而更易减小大孔隙所占比例;当荷载水平680 kPa时,加载速率是决定相对最大孔隙占总孔隙数比例的关键因素,速率较小会使得该比例增大,速率较大则使得该比例减小,其界限值在0.8 MPa/s与1.6 MPa/s之间;一定的冲击荷载和速率水平下,随着作用次数即总能量的提高,淤泥中的相对大孔隙和最大孔隙部分会明显减少,而当间隔时间较短的作用次数再提高时,上述效应会降低;对于有效减少较大孔隙而言,淤泥受冲击的次数存在某个合适的量值.上述规律有助于从内部本质上寻求和掌握各种静动力排水固结法处理淤泥类软基的微观机理,为其科学设计及施工优化提供了进一步的依据.     

A combined analytical singularity subtraction method and compact implicit differencing scheme for aerodynamic mixing

In spite of the rapid advances in both scalar and parallel computational tools, the large number and breadth of variables involved in both design and inverse problems make the use of sophisticated fluid flow models impractical. With this restriction, it may be concluded that an important family of methods for mathematical/computational development are reduced or approximate models. In this study, a combined perturbation/numerical modeling methodology is developed. The numerical portion of the model uses a compact finite difference scheme, while analytical solutions are used to resolve singular behavior that is inherent to this flow. Solutions are presented to illustrate the efficiency of this methodology.     

Post buckling response of functionally graded materials plate subjected to mechanical and thermal loadings with random material properties

In this paper, the second order statistics of post buckling response of functionally graded materials plate (FGM) subjected to mechanical and thermal loading with nonuniform temperature changes subjected to temperature independent (TID) and dependent (TD) material properties is examined. Material properties such as material properties of each constituent’s materials, volume fraction index are taken as independent random input variables. The basic formulation is based on higher order shear deformation theory (HSDT) with von-Karman nonlinear kinematic using modified C⁰ continuity. A direct iterative based C⁰ nonlinear finite element method (FEM) combined with mean centered first order perturbation technique (FOPT) proposed by last two authors for the composite plate is extended for Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs) plate with reasonable accuracy to compute the second order statistics (mean and coefficient of variation) of the post buckling load response of the FGM plates. The effect of random material properties with amplitude ratios, volume fraction index, plate thickness ratios, aspect ratios, boundary conditions and types of loadings subjected to TID and TD material properties are presented through numerical examples. The performance of outlined present approach is validated with the results available in literatures and independent Monte Carlo simulation (MCS).     

A network approach to the modelling of active magnetic bearings

The modelling of active magnetic bearings based on a network approach is considered. Unlike in the standard modelling approach, where a linearization of the current-force relation for the centred shaft position is used, network models permit to include the position dependence of the bearing force in the force model. This becomes necessary when model based controllers are used to stabilize a magnetically supported shaft in tracking applications.

The approach is based on the well known application of network models to magnetic circuits. Further simplifying assumptions are discussed which allow one to obtain a network with a limited number of lumped parameters describing the magnetic behaviour of a magnetic bearing. The modelling of a combined radial and axial bearing serves as an example for the application of the proposed approach. Furthermore, the fitting of the network based model to measured characteristic force curves is discussed. In this context, a method for including saturation effects in the model is sketched.